A/N: So...let me just say...this isn't a trajedy. NO ONE IS GOING TO DIE! I promised a happy ending and I will deliver. I also said it was going to be a wild ride and I will deliver on that too. This is part one of a chapter I had to split up into two parts cause it was way too long. The crazy whirlwind is coming but don't freak out...it will work out in the end. I hope you guys are still interested in the story. My beta and I work extremely hard on delivering the best chapters we can. Shout out mrj726! Reviews are love..show me some love! And with all that being said...here we go!
Maura
"We aren't calling anything off! We're going to get to the bottom of this and there will be justice!" I nearly screamed at Detective Korsak.
I was so furious I was trembling from head to toe as I paced up and down the sidewalk while the detective eyed me nervously from the park bench.
"Maura we need to consider that our investigation has been compromised. It isn't safe to proceed until we look further into this incident. It would be unwise to proceed until we know exactly what happened! You're allowing your emotions to cloud your judgment; you've got to calm down and be reasonable." Korsak insisted.
I rounded on him, my eyes lit up like lightning in a midnight sky.
"Someone broke into my car detective! I don't even know how that's possible without a key! The alarm didn't go off, the doors weren't damaged, and the battery cables weren't cut. Besides that, who knew where we were going? NO ONE! We must have been followed. Someone at the precinct is working against us. The same someone that is responsible for the death of Tommy Rizzoli and the undercover officer and potentially many others! Now my family is in danger and you're telling me to calm myself! I will do no such thing until I figure out what's going on, and those Road Dogs or whomever are behind bars! No one puts my family in danger without consequences Detective Korsak, and I will do what I must to protect them. I will not rest until the people responsible are put away!" Every pore of my body was seething with anger.
The detective's eyes were wide and he looked fearful as he watched me pace in front of him. Several people walking along the sidewalk noticed me screaming and gave me a wide berth eyeing me sideways and quickening their stride. I must have looked as wild and frenetic as I felt. I was beyond furious. Detective Korsak insisted that I turn my car over to the police and have it swept for bugs and evidence which I insisted I could do myself, but for some reason the detective didn't seem to think I was capable of gathering evidence in my condition. We took a cab to the park as Korsak believed this was the only place we could speak and not be overheard by curious, possibly even corrupt, ears. We were dressed again in our professional clothes, but since I felt like punching something I actually thought the biker gear would better fit my mood.
Detective Korsak studied me for a while sitting in silence. I mumbled to myself as I continued pacing in front of him.
"I've sent private security to watch my family until this is all over." I said through gritted teeth.
"We can put a unit outside your house!" The detective commented.
I slowly turned on him with what I knew was a look of incredulity.
"I don't trust them...I don't trust anyone, and neither should you by now!" I exclaimed. "It may be that someone in the police station gave us up to the gang! Don't you realize that? We have to look out for ourselves!"
"I doubt it was an officer that gave us up. I haven't spoken to anyone about this that I don't trust with my life." Korsak insisted.
I could feel my teeth grinding in my head.
"Did you call Detective Frost?" I growled at him.
Korsak nodded his head wearily.
"He'll be here any minute. I doubt it was him though...he wouldn't rat us out; he doesn't even have the contacts to make something like this happen. Besides he's too excited to be included on this case. It wasn't him." Korsak insisted.
I rolled my eyes.
"I don't trust anyone at this point. This is insane! Someone broke into my car Korsak...my personal vehicle! They have my license plate number and can trace that to my address. If they'll break into my car they'll break into my home too. Our undercover operation is destroyed before it even started!" I screeched.
I narrowed my eyes and leaned in close to Detective Korsak's face.
"Let me tell you something detective... May God have mercy on the fool that followed me to the motorcycle shop and broke into my car! If war is what they want it's war they will get! I will not abide being followed or terrorized! Where the safety of my family is concerned there is nothing, absolutely nothing I'm not capable of, nor hesitate to do, in order to prevent harm from coming to them!" I raged, my eyes on fire, and my voice laced with contempt.
Detective Korsak shook his head wearily.
"Doc you sound hysterical! You need to go home and check on your family!" He pleaded with me.
I glared hatefully at him.
"My girlfriend and my daughter are safe. There are two ex-marines covering my home right now. They'll call me if anything is amiss; after they put a bullet in the head of anyone trying to intrude on my family's peace!" I scoffed.
Detective Korsak looked incredulous.
"You're going off the deep end Doc. I'm worried about you. Maybe you need to step back from this case; you're too close to the victim! It's making you irrational!"
I rubbed my temples and shook my head. Detective Korsak was right; I was getting out of control in my demeanor but he was ten times a fool if he thought I was going to back away from the case. I was more determined than ever to see this through to the end. He was right that it had become personal the moment the gang made it personal by breaking into my car. Still, I had to hold it together. I could tell Korsak was growing more and more disconcerted with me by the second. It took everything I had not to continue screaming, but I had to impress upon him how serious I was.
"Have you forgotten what it is to have family detective? Is it that you have no children, so you don't understand my intrinsic need to keep my daughter safe? If someone were to move against your family directly when you were married would you have sat idly by waiting while someone else figures it out though you had the skill to handle it yourself?" I asked sincerely.
Detective Korsak opened and closed his jaw many times trying to find words to say. I knew he wanted to argue further but I could tell he realized there would be no dissuading me.
"I understand where you're coming from and therein lies the problem. You'll do anything to keep your family safe including something rash and potentially dangerous to yourself and me for that matter. I think you need to take Jane and the baby back to New York and let me handle this one! I'll call you when it's safe for you to come back." He insisted.
I scoffed.
"I've no problem sending Jane to New York or even out of the country if it's necessary; but I'm not running and I'm not hiding. I'll not be intimidated!" I stated boldly.
"Maura I just think you're..."
"...Hey guys. What's going on you sounded crazy on the phone!" Detective Frost said running up to us on the sidewalk.
I lunged at him in a fury.
"Who have you been talking too? I told you to keep this case between us...who have you told! What have you done?" I exclaimed grabbing Frost by his collar and shaking him like a ragdoll in my wrath.
Frost's eyes were wide and startled.
"What are you talking about?" He wailed as he struggled to pull away from my clinging grasp on his shirt collar.
"Someone broke into my car!" I screamed at him. "They read the Rizzoli file and now they know everything. They know where I live, they followed me around! My family is in danger! Detective...are you working against us? Tell me what you've done! Tell me!" I bellowed at the young detective.
Frost looked like he wanted to cry. He struggled harder to get out of my grip but I would not be stopped. I was overwrought and frantic; motivated by the most primal instincts to do all things necessary to protect what was mine.
"Let me go! You're being crazy!" Frost ranted, struggling wildly.
Everyone around us stopped and stared at the scene I was making. I was swinging Frost around in a circle screaming maniacally in his face. I was oblivious to the onlookers; I wanted answers and I would have them if I had to choke them out of Frost. I was consumed with fury due to the terror I felt over the danger posed toward my family. Finally he pushed me hard enough to back me up several steps. I stood there shaking as tears streamed down my face. What was happening to me? Frost's face darkened and his lips trembled in fury.
"Psycho!" He hissed furiously.
I felt my own face darken and the blood ran cold in my veins.
"You have no idea how psycho I'm about to become if you don't tell me what I want to know!" I whispered in a cold trembling voice.
I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me toward the park bench. I had no choice but to let myself be carried away. Detective Korsak pushed me down on the bench and held me still by my shoulder. I could feel his large strong hands enforcing his will on me. I didn't struggle, I couldn't overpower the man. But I glared at Frost none the less.
"Maura! That's enough!" Korsak's voice bellowed.
His breath was coming in great puffs and his chest heaved with the effort to control himself. Frost looked like he wanted to kick something. He cursed and spun around in circles while spitting furious words at me.
"Frost calm down! We're not doing this, not here, not now, not EVER!" Korsak thundered.
"You're telling me to calm down? She's the one freaking out; she almost ripped my shirt off!" Frost fumed.
"She won't do it again, will ya doc?" Korsak said looking at me threateningly.
I turned my head and pursed my lips.
"No," I said, though I was still loathsome.
"Good; now you two cut out this useless bullshit behavior and focus. We're partners in this and if we don't trust each other we're as good as dead do you understand?" Korsak counseled, his eyes flaming and piercing both Frost and I with an intensity neither of us cared to see.
Frost and I stopped cursing and glaring at each other. We set our jaws and looked at anything that wasn't each were high but no one wanted to die or be responsible for the death of the other. The situation was serious we all knew, and our best work and efforts would be required at all times in order to get to the bottom of it and stay alive in the process.
"Frost, we need your help. Have you told anyone about our intentions to go undercover inside the Road Dogs gang?" Korsak inquired in a voice struggling to remain calm.
"I haven't said shit to anybody!" He exclaimed.
His brow was furrowed and his face trembled in consternation but I could tell he wasn't lying. His eyes were steady if not furious and he didn't as much as flinch when he answered Korsak's question. I sighed. I'd been extremely unfair to him and I knew it. I bowed my head and blinked back tears. I was so hysterical I was lashing out at the few people I could trust. The title of head of household carried a far greater weight than could ever be measured or calculated under such a serious threat of a family's safety. I was moved by feelings I never had before and could not control, but I wouldn't trade the title for anything in this world. I felt guilty and ashamed of my behavior toward Frost. The threat against my family was driving me mad; but I had to rise to the challenge and adapt and do it quickly before I made a grievous error I could not fix.
"Someone broke into Maura's car and went through the Rizzoli file while we were inside a motorcycle shop just outside the city. No one could have known we were going to be there. We had to be followed." Korsak explained patiently to Frost.
Frosts' face showed surprise then became pinched with the look of intense concentration as he thought hard.
"The doors were unlocked, the alarm never went off, and there was no sign of forced entry! I don't know how they got into the car." Korsak said finally releasing my shoulder.
He paced around thinking hard himself.
"It doesn't make any sense! Something doesn't add up here!" Korsak said more to himself than anyone else.
I twiddled my thumbs in my lap. I was still too ashamed of myself to offer much at the moment.
"I'm very sorry I grabbed you and spoke to you in the manner I did." I said to Frost though never raising my eyes to his.
Frost studied me for a moment.
"It's ok. I know you got a kid and everything. We'll figure this out." He said not unkindly.
I looked up at him and forced a pained smile.
"I don't know what to do, Frost. How could the gang have found out about this?" I said miserably.
Frost scratched his beard and shook his head.
"Maybe it wasn't the gang at all! They likely aren't high tech enough to program a remote to override your car's security system or pop the locks through the internal controls," Frost said pacing around.
"It's not possible to break into your car with sounding the alarm unless..." Frost paused and looked bewildered.
"Unless what?" I pushed him.
Frost looked uncertain of whether or not to continue his thought. He sighed and looked at me with sincere but mournful eyes.
"Unless they stole a key to your car somehow!" He said frowning.
"But there are only two keys to my car," I exclaimed.
"Well who has the other key?" Korsak demanded.
I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Jane's number. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for her to answer. She never did, her voice mail picked up. A cold creepy feeling settled in my stomach. I shook my head and dialed the house phone number. Consuela answered on the third ring.
"Ello?" Consuela said on the line.
"Consuela, is Jane home? I need to speak with her." I asked with as much calm as I could find.
"Oh...no she not here. She go with Mr. James all day. They say they went to visit nephew. I tell her you call." Consuela informed me.
I don't know why I felt so worried. Why wouldn't Jane answer the phone? I needed to hear her voice and know she was safe. What if someone robbed her for the car key? What if she was hurt or worse dead? I felt sick with dread. Had I failed at my job already?
"Where's our baby?" I demanded.
"Oh she fine. She playing with evil diablo dog in play pen." Consuela told me.
I sighed.
"Consuela, go upstairs and look in Jane's sock drawer. There should be a spare key to my car in there. I need to know if it's there!"
Consuela sighed.
"I playing crossword puzzle!" She complained.
"Consuela you can't spell! Do what I ask please it's important!" I pleaded with her.
I heard Consuela curse and hiss in Spanish. I sat on the park bench feeling my heart beat in my chest faster and faster. I heard Consuela rummaging around in the drawer.
"No...I not see key! It not here." Consuela huffed.
My heart sank. Either the key had been stolen from inside my home or Jane had it and someone stole it from her. I brought a trembling hand up to my forehead and rubbed my brow. I worked hard to steady my breath and my nerves. So many thoughts were running through my head; terrible thoughts of what might have become of the key or Jane. I finally spoke as calmly as I could.
"There are two men outside watching the house. I'm going to send one of them in to stay with you until I get home. Don't ask questions just do as he says." I said firmly.
"What man? Why they watching house? You in trouble?" Consuela sounded hysterical.
"Consuela just do as I ask. I'll explain later, and you call me as soon as Jane gets home!"
"If you in trouble I take baby and leave this place!" Consuela countered my demand.
I smirked to myself. I had no doubt she would do just that at the slightest provocation.
"Consuela stay put for now. I'll be home soon. Do what the man asks; his name is Gerald Ingles...ask to see his I.D. before you let him inside. Call me if you hear from Jane." I said and hung up before Consuela could argue further.
"What's going on? Who has the spare key, Maura?" Korsak demanded, his face betrayed his worry.
I'm sure my face betrayed everything I was feeling also.
"I am fairly sure Jane has the spare key. She's not answering the phone. She's clumsy with her things and forgetful. She misplaces her belongings all the time. I'm worried she misplaced the key or perhaps someone stole it from her. There is a smaller chance that someone stole it out of my house, though this is unlikely!" I said miserably.
Frost piped in.
"We can find out if someone used the spare key. You drive a brand new Mercedes. Every time a key locks or unlocks your car it's recorded in the car's navigation system. Call your company's security system and ask them for all the times over the last couple hours that a key was used to unlock your car."
I perked up. Frost was right but I could do him one better. I had an app on my phone that connected directly to my car's security system. I can't believe I hadn't thought of it before. I went through the app and my heart stopped. My security system was advanced enough to record the addresses of every place my car's engine stopped and started and the exact time a key was used to lock and unlock the doors. I found the address of the motorcycle shop on the app. My car's engine turned off at 1:52 p.m. I locked the doors at 1:53 p.m. A key was registered as having opened the doors at 2:05 p.m. That couldn't have been me. Korsak and I were in the shop over thirty minutes and I never used the key to unlock the door again because it was already open. I tasted vomit in the back of my throat.
"What is it? What's going on?" Korsak demanded impatiently.
I looked up at him with wide eyes.
"Someone has my spare key!" I said barely above a whisper.
I was so shocked and panicky I could barely breathe. Korsak and Frost looked at each other wide-eyed, and slack-jawed. I called my security team and insisted one of them sweep my home for bugs and remain inside until I got home. I dialed James' number next. Frost and Korsak were having a hurried, clipped discussion further down the sidewalk. Their backs were to me and they kept glancing over their shoulders to make sure I wasn't approaching them. I knew they were discussing me and what my lost car key could mean. I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for James to pick up the phone. He never did. When his voice mail picked up I wanted to cry and throw my phone and dissolve into a panic, but I couldn't fall apart. I had to think clearly. I was Dr. Maura Isles...I just had to think!
I had an idea. I tapped into Jane's car's navigation system on my phone to see where she was. I would never check up on Jane like this normally, I trusted her and felt it was an invasion of her privacy to follow every move she made. But I'd become desperate to find her. Her safety could be in jeopardy. I frowned when I saw her car hadn't so much as moved all day long. It was still sitting in the driveway at home but Consuela said she and James left to go to the foster farm this morning. It didn't make any sense. James didn't have a car. Why would they take a taxi to the foster farm? It just didn't make sense. I dialed the house phone number again. Consuela picked up and this time she sounded extremely upset.
"Doctor," She exclaimed. "Man here say he have permission to go through everything in the house! He prying and opening drawers and sneaking around like criminal! It no make sense!"
I sighed.
"He's doing his job Consuela, leave him alone to do it!" I said impatiently.
"What he looking for? He look at my underwear!" She hissed at me.
I rolled my eyes.
"Consuela, is Jane's car in the driveway?" I asked.
Consuela grumbled again and didn't answer for a few moments.
"Yes it here!" She huffed.
"Well how did she and James leave this morning if her car is in the driveway?" I demanded.
"I not know; maybe they take taxi. I not ask questions. Miss Jane do whatever she want anyway even if it don't make sense!"
I felt sick to my stomach again.
"Call me if you hear from her," I said and hung up again.
I dialed Jane and James' numbers again and cursed loudly when neither one of them answered. I sat staring off in the distance crippled in fear and anxiety when Frost and Korsak shuffled up to me.
"Have you spoken to her?" Korsak asked finally.
"NO!" I spat angrily.
I hated being in the dark. I hated the thoughts floating in my mind. I hated the idea that someone had stolen from my home or from Jane and that my family was in danger because of my involvement with this case. I hated thinking something could have happened to Jane or James. I hated that they were beyond my reach and weren't answering the phone. I hated not being in control. I was always in control...of everything. Now I felt like I had control over nothing. Not even my personal possessions or the whereabouts of my girlfriend and my attorney. I was furious that someone had deceived me despite my best efforts to protect myself and my loved ones. What had I missed? What was I not seeing? Something was off I just knew it! I bit my thumb nail as I thought hard. What was I missing?
Detectives Korsak and Frost stood in front of me shuffling awkwardly and seeming uncertain of something.
"WHAT?!" I demanded.
They exchanged another nervous glance. Korsak nodded his head at Frost and turned back to me. Frost looked down at me sympathetically.
"WHAT dammit?!" I shouted again.
Frost took a deep breath before speaking.
"Is it possible that Jane was the one following you guys around and broke into your car?" Frost said rushing his words as if to get them out of his mouth before he lost his nerve to speak them.
I looked at him incredulously. I started to retort in anger before I thought better of it. His words struck me like lightening. I didn't want to believe it to be true...but it was conceivable. I knew it was possible. All the events added up in my head and his question became more and more feasible the harder I fought to deny it. It was possible that there was a leak in the department, but wasn't it more likely the leak was in my own house? It was possible that someone had stolen from my home, but wasn't it more probable that no one had stolen from me at all? Who had more access to me than Jane? Who had more means than Jane? Who, at this point, had more motivation to tail me than Jane? I'd given Jane the spare key to my car myself. I remember the look on her face yesterday when I tried to explain the motorcycle to her. I remember how heated she became, and how hard she pushed me for answers that I tried so desperately to skirt around knowing my efforts at deflection were clumsy at best. I thought Jane would back down, I thought she would just let it go. Could her silence on the matter all day have been because she was busy finding out for herself what she wanted to know? What had she done? I didn't want to believe it.
Detectives Korsak and Frost lowered their eyes and turned their heads away giving me space to work through the implications on my own. I could feel my facial expressions move between shock, fear, rage, and finally settle on doubt.
"I don't think so?" I said finally. In my scientist's brain I thought 'Occam's Razor'…"The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct." Damn.
I shook my head. Jane wouldn't do that...right? I felt something move inside of me, a discomfort I couldn't quite place. The very idea of Jane sneaking around after me was over the top to say the least, but her snoopy behavior wasn't what was making me feel sick. It was the thought that if she had been following me and broke into my car then she also read what was in that file and she knew everything. All that awful information about her brother and the Road Dogs was no longer a secret. Unspeakable terror and crippling empathy enveloped me. Where was she? What was she thinking? How tormented were her heart and soul now that she knew the truth? I just didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to think that Jane could be wallowing in misery and despair at that very moment reliving the horror of her loss over and over again.
"I would have noticed her following me, right?" I asked spoke aloud, shaking my head as if I could just shake the idea away.
Detective Korsak moved to speak.
"I told you before Jane wasn't a stupid woman. I told you before women have ways of finding things out for themselves if you aren't up front with them. My God, you told me Jane graduated top of her class at the NYPD police academy. I'm not saying it was her that broke into the car...but it makes sense. With all her police training she would know how to follow you without being noticed. No one at the department knows what we're doing save the three of us and a few very trusted old colleagues of mine. Those colleagues do not even have the exact details of what we have planned." Korsak said fixing me with his most piercing gaze.
"It's very likely it is as I said; Jane has put two and two together and found out for herself what the intentions were with regard to the bike. Now she knows the truth about what got her family killed and all about the Road Dogs gang. If she loves you, and I know she does, she won't be happy about you going undercover. What if she keeps on like this with the snooping and what not? It's dangerous!" Korsak said with a heavy but sympathetic voice.
He knew how much his words hurt me. He knew the truth of what he spoke. Worse he knew the danger Jane posed to us and herself if her interference continued.
I turned my eyes away from him. I didn't want to see the look on his face. I didn't want to believe what he was saying to be true. I didn't know how to feel. So many things were going on in my head and in my heart I couldn't quite place any specific feeling or thought.
I looked past the detectives as I swallowed the bitter pill that was the truth. Across the park was a playground. I watched the children play excitedly, running and jumping and swinging without a care in the world. I watched proud but wary parents keeping a close eye on their babies looking for any signs of trouble, wishing they could keep their children safe and innocent forever. I thought of Angela and I thought of Jane. I felt for the first time the full magnitude of my position. I wanted to keep Angela safe and innocent forever and even though Jane was not a child I also wanted the same thing for her. But Jane was a defiant creature, a survival method no doubt born out of unbearable pain; no matter how much I tried to keep her under the umbrella of my protection she refused to sit still and let me take the lead. She was a woman grown and capable of thoughts and opinions and actions outside of my control and I knew that; but it didn't lessen my desire to protect her, especially from herself. I thought I had done enough to convince her I would bring her peace. I thought Jane was confident enough in me to let me alone to do as I had promised her. Perhaps I had underestimated the love of my life. Maybe I didn't fully understand what motivated her. She had a strength I admired but her stubborn defiance was dangerous. I obviously failed at holding Jane's curiosity at bay, I needed advice and perhaps even assistance, loath as I was to admit that.
"If it was Jane what do I do now?" I asked simply.
Detective Korsak nodded his head relieved that I had finally accepted the probability that my girlfriend was a nosey busy body potentially putting us all in danger if she kept going as she was. Detective Frost just looked uncomfortable.
"I can't tell you what to do. You know your girlfriend better than we do. If I was her I can tell you she's panicking right now. She knows you know someone broke into the car and read that file. She probably knows about Tommy and what really happened to her family. She's fearful, distraught, agitated and worse she's furious. I'm afraid she won't stop here; she knows what we're planning with the gang. She knows way too much. She's a wild card Maura; something's gotta be done about her." He said honestly.
Detective Korsak was gracious enough not to mention that if I didn't do something and Jane got in the way again the law very likely would take over and remove her from the equation entirely by placing her under arrest.
I closed my eyes again and brought my fingers to my lips as I considered his words. Detective Korsak waited patiently for me to speak. Detective Frost excused himself and walked away down the sidewalk. I folded my hands in my lap. The late evening sun was just starting to set behind the trees in the distance covering the park in the glow of pretty orange and pink colors. However, the beauty of the sunset was lost on me, my mind was consumed with worry and fear and even a great deal of fury. I asked Jane to trust me and she swore to me that she did. I asked her to believe in me and she swore to me that she did. To think that Jane had betrayed my trust was eating at me. What was I to do with her? In her mind maybe she thought in some way she was keeping me safe. What was I to do at all? If Jane knew the truth I knew it would be a battle to keep her safe not only from the gang but from herself. I felt like I was fighting a war on all fronts and my greatest enemy was in my own home and in my heart. I couldn't believe myself for thinking it but I wished in that moment that it wasn't Jane that followed us to the motorcycle shop. I wanted it to be someone else...anyone else. I could squash any other enemy; but I couldn't squash Jane. I sighed heavily and bowed my head. Jane left me no choice. If she admitted to me she had indeed done as I believed and tailed and spied on me I would do what I needed to keep her safe. I steeled my nerves. Love they say is a battlefield; I was in for a war.
"What do you want to do now?" Detective Korsak asked.
I looked up at him.
"I have to go home. I have to talk to Jane."
