Chapter Twenty Seven
Gabby watched Jane drive away before she made her way to her vehicle. She climbed into her Triton and looked at her mobile phone, which she'd had on silent for the better part of the afternoon. She had several missed messages from Alexis, including an apology. The apology only made Gabby's gut churn. It was horrendous to think Alexis thought she had anything to apologise for. It was simply not true. Only one person was owed an apology. It wasn't her. It was Alexis.
The apology had to wait though, because an opportunity to learn more about the prick who could have killed Melissa and was currently manipulating her ex, was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. Besides, she wasn't near ready to face Alexis. Her behaviour the night before was inexcusable. How could she look her girlfriend in the eye and apologise and act like nothing had ever happened? She couldn't. She needed to straighten her head out a little first. Alexis would have to wait. She sent a simple text stating, 'not tonight, but soon' and hoped it would be enough.
Then there was the message from Maura indicating she would pick them up dinner from Me Wah and Gabby's entire body deflated. Her body sunk further into the seat, her head dropped and she let out a long sigh. Just seeing Maura's name on the screen left Alec's words reverberating around her brain and that only made things worse because thinking about that led to thinking about last night. Flashes of Maura's naked body writhing beneath hers in the throws of passion came unbidden to her mind. Her palm slammed against the steering wheel. Fuck Alec and his stupid ideas.
She called Maura. She tried to sound chipper, "Isles, Isles, Isles…"
"If you're calling to give me your order Gabby, I've already picked up the food. I ordered beef and black bean and lemon chicken to ensure I meet any of your particular cravings tonight."
God, Alec wasn't wrong about this woman. She was on a different level. Gabby couldn't even remember the last time she had ordered chinese, let alone with Maura, but her best friend knew precisely the only two dishes she ever bothered going with. Standing her up, even for a friendly get together, sucked. A wave of absolute reluctance poured over her body and she simply stared at her phone, unsure how to proceed.
"Gabby, are you there?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
"Is everything alright?"
Nope. Not at all. How was she supposed to tell Maura who was in great need of her support right now that she had something more important to do? That she was going to have dinner with Jane and Melissa, the two women directly responsible for the worst of Maura's heartache? Gabby shook her head and ran her teeth along her lower lip. Dinner with Maura was so much more enticing, but she knew it had to wait. "Actually no, Maura. I'm really sorry, but I have something I need to deal with tonight. I have no idea when I'll be done."
"Oh."
It was but one simple word and yet it hit Gabby hard. The disappointment was unmistakable. Perhaps she could make Jane push through the update and probable questions quickly. Perhaps she could at least stop by for a short visit so that Maura didn't feel so bad. "I'll try and finish up as fast as I can so I can stop by for a nightcap."
"That would be lovely, if you have time. But please, don't rush on my account. We can always catch up again later this week."
Maura was never anything but gracious. Gabby closed her eyes for a moment. This really wasn't her life, was it? Stuck trying to save Melissa to the detriment of every other relationship she had, yet again? She sighed and forced a smile in the hopes Maura could sense it from the other end of the line, "I'll text you before I head home, just in case. Goodnight, Maura."
"Goodnight, Gabby."
Despite the time she spent staring at her phone and talking to Maura, Gabby pulled up outside Melissa's at practically the same time as Jane. The bags in Jane's hand accounted for what had delayed the American in getting home. She nodded her acknowledgement to Jane and joined her on the front porch, waiting to be let inside. The moment she entered the house her ears were hit with a familiar melody, causing her entire body to tense up before finally relaxing. She reached out and caught Jane by the bicep to get her attention, "That song was Rachael's favourite."
"Thanks for the warning," Jane said before motioning with her bag laden hand for Gabby to follow her further inside. "Make yourself at home."
Gabby watched Jane disappear towards the other end of the house and made her way to the couch in the living room. Before she had even managed to sit down Charlie found her and immediately searched for affection. Gabby knelt down in front of him and rubbed his head vigorously, "Hey Charlie, how you doin' boy?"
It was a small moment, but it was meaningful. It hadn't even been an entire day since she had last seen him with the intent to not see him again for a very long time, if at all. The permanence of that decision had made her miss him so much. She continued rubbing his head and scratching behind his ears, just the way he liked until Jane appeared in the doorway and she was summoned for the inquisition.
Melissa didn't bother to greet her, she simply sat down in a seat close to Jane at the dining table and clutched meaningfully at the American's hand. It felt like a kick to the gut, but she didn't take it personally. There wasn't a chance in Hell after the last few days that Melissa would be even close to mentally stable. Gabby wasn't the least bit surprised to see her clinging to Jane like she was the saviour himself.
"So you wanna fill me in?" Gabby asked, eager to get down to business.
Jane launched into a thorough run down on what had been learned and what had left them questioning, searching, hoping to find motive, because with motive they could try to trim the suspect pool. It was quite sobering to realise that it may well be someone she went through the academy with. It was even more sobering to see the way Jane watched her, practically assessing her and before she could even formulate a response Jane hit her with one last awful truth.
"The accident that killed Rachael, wasn't an accident. Extended footage of the scene showed that the SUV circled the block eight times in twenty minutes. It was targeted."
Gabby looked from Jane to Melissa and back to Jane. Melissa had practically withdrawn in on herself as much as she could and who could blame her? It was bad enough blaming herself for an accident and Rachael's personal choice for all these years, but now this? Gabby's stomach churned with a horrible feeling just thinking about it. Jane's gaze remained steely and suspicious.
Gabby turned her hands up on the table and held them open. "I'm telling you right now, there's no way in Hell I'd ever orchestrate anything to hurt Missy."
Melissa's eyes widened in surprise and she turned to look at Jane, clearly in agreement with Gabby, which warmed the cockles of Gabby's cold, hardened heart.
"Never for a second, beyond due diligence." Jane clearly recognised a need to smooth things over, "I know that you would never consciously hurt her."
Gabby felt the soft jab that was thrown with the sneaky reference back to Saturday's fight. She let Jane have that one, because if Jane knew what had happened last night, well Gabby was pretty sure her entire face would be black and blue. That was before she even brought what happened with Maura into the equation. Gabby's eyes dropped to the table at that point, thinking about Maura and staring at Jane wasn't conducive to feeling an ounce of comfort. Far from it. If Jane only knew. There probably wouldn't be many niceties flying between them. Last night was definitely a secret she needed to keep.
Her phone shattered the silence that had settled in the room and she looked at the caller ID, it was Alexis. Gabby immediately rejected the call and looked back at Jane and Melissa, who were watching her closely. "Alex. I already told her I was busy tonight."
Jane's head cocked to the side and her eyes narrowed, causing Gabby to swallow uncomfortably. She looked like she was suspicious of something. Gabby shifted in her seat and set her phone down on the table. Guilt churned her insides something fierce, what was she thinking agreeing to this meeting? She should have just stayed out of it altogether. She felt absolutely sick to her stomach.
"It might be important." Jane's voice was surprisingly understanding.
Gabby realised in that moment she may have been projecting because of her guilt. She appreciated Jane's understanding, even if talking to Alexis was the last thing she wanted to do tonight. She nodded slowly and said, "This is important. If something really important is happening with Alex, she'll call back. I'll answer it then."
"Alright, let's eat something and really dig into this before Jacob gets here." Jane said, as she dug around in the bags she had brought home with her, pulling out several different chinese dishes and a couple containers of plain rice, a container of fried rice and a container of rice noodles.
Melissa took that as her queue to walk into the kitchenette and return with crockery and cutlery. Gabby smirked at this because of the little pout that had briefly appeared on Jane's face. No doubt she would have happily just eaten from the containers. It sure wasn't Me Wah quality Chinese food, because Jane wouldn't have had time for that. No doubt this was all from Morty's, for fast and easy access. Regardless, Gabby spied some Lemon Chicken and immediately grabbed a spoon and heaped some on the rice she'd put in her bowl. She briefly cast her eyes towards Melissa and offered her a soft smile.
It was right after she put the first bite of food in her mouth that Jane's entire sentence filtered its way into Gabby's brain. "Jacob's coming here, tonight?"
Jane nodded right before the fork covered in noodles disappeared into her mouth. She wasn't messing around. It had no doubt been a long day, and if Jane was anything like her at work she may have forgotten to eat if she was in the middle of something. She certainly looked that famished anyway.
The chicken wasn't too bad at all, but before Gabby could even think about a second mouthful or say something to Jane about the planned Jacob ambush, her phone rang again. She pushed aside the containers that had haphazardly ended up sitting on her phone and looked at the caller ID. Once again it was Alexis. She lifted her eyes from the screen to Jane who seemed to nod in encouragement. Reluctantly Gabby brought the phone to her ear and answered, forcing a smile to her face. "Babe, everything alright?"
"You should have answered the first time. Now, you might just be too late."
Gabby flew out of her chair and barely had time to yell at Jane on her way out of the room, "Alex's now!"
It was all a blur after that. She was in her vehicle and on the roads, whipping through traffic, not paying any attention at all. She was fifteen minutes away. The voice on the line wasn't Alexis. All their troubles. All her guilt. It all faded away. In the moments after the call, all Gabby could think was she had to make it in time. She had to save Alexis from whatever the Hell was happening to her. She simply had to.
As she got close to the house Gabby noticed that the front door was wide open and her stomach bottomed out. She drove her Triton into the driveway and barely managed to put it in park, leaping out while the engine was still running. She unholstered her service weapon and held it in front of her as she stepped into the house. She heard Jane calling her name, but she ignored her. There was no time to wait.
"Alex, baby?" Gabby called out urgently, forgetting every single thing she had been taught. She climbed the stairs three at a time. She reached the landing and was immediately assaulted by the coppery smell of blood. She scanned an open plan living area that looked like it had been hit by a tornado and then she saw the bloody smears on the kitchen island. "No, no, no, no!"
Gabby found Alexis propped up the other side of the island, clutching at her entire middle, pale as could be, head lulling, eyes droopy, in a puddle of blood. There was just so much blood. For a moment Gabby felt like she left her body and was watching herself as an unholy, agonised scream escaped her throat. Gabby dropped to her knees in front of Alexis and tried to assess the damage, but there were just so many cuts and slashes. He had tortured her girlfriend. It was so horrific Gabby didn't know how Alexis was still breathing and she didn't know how to even begin stemming the crimson tide. "I'm here baby," she murmured, pulling Alexis into her arms and cradling her so she could meet her eyes. She pressed down firmly on what wounds she could. "Just hold on for me. Just hold on. You gotta hold on, just hold on. Please hold on."
"I knew… you'd come…" Alexis spluttered between ragged breaths, barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Sssh, don't speak baby, conserve your energy." Gabby's hands were slick with blood. Tears streamed down her face and she shoved Jane away with an unexpected strength, her eyes never left her girlfriend. "I'm right here baby, I'm right here."
Alexis spluttered some more, trying to speak, but all Gabby heard was gurgling and gasping for air, ragged breaths, further and further between. Gabby leaned down and pressed a long lingering kiss against Alexis' forehead. "I love you Alex."
Alexis' smile was stained with blood, but it was radiant. She clutched at the material of Gabby's jacket, but her grip slipped and her hand fell by her side. Through her tears Gabby forced a smile and whispered words she hoped would bring comfort, "You'll make an honest woman of me babe, we'll honeymoon in the Caribbean. White sand, blue ocean, so much sunshine. We'll be so happy."
Alexis took her last shuddering breath.
Gabby's heart throbbed so hard and fast that it felt like it was going to pound right out of her chest. Jane's words were nothing more than the buzz of an insect in the background. Gabby clung to her girlfriend, rocking her back and forth, refusing to let go. Even after countless attempts to pry her away. Even though Alexis had become limp in her arms. Even though she hadn't heard a ragged breath in minutes. Gabby held on. Her hand pressed against Alexis' cheek, smearing her pale skin with blood, and she stared into lifeless eyes until someone, probably Jane, closed them. It was all a blur. Gabby Wilson couldn't tell you a damn thing, but she sure as Hell wasn't letting go.
Maura exited her vehicle and assessed the situation ahead of her. The Police had set up a barricade and curious pedestrians were gawking up the road. Uniformed officers were pushing a couple of extra curious people back behind the tape and then, the news vans rolled in. For a moment it felt like she was right back in Boston attending a high profile crime scene, except this wasn't Boston. This was Launceston. This was always going to be high profile because this kind of thing rarely ever happened here.
Maura had absolutely no right to cross the police line, she was an educator these days, not a medical examiner. For this reason she searched with her eyes beyond the uniform police towards the coroner's van and haphazardly parked police vehicles. She raised her hand when she saw who she was looking for and waited.
Detective Alec Morris approached the tape and lifted it for her, waving her under and telling the uniforms, "She's with me."
Marching side by side towards the crime scene, towards Alexis' residence, Maura finally spoke, "Where is she?"
Alec guided her into the house and said, "Upstairs, with… with Alex."
Maura closed her eyes for a moment and pushed down all of her personal feelings. She was walking into something absolutely horrendous. She thought she was beyond having to witness grizzly crime scenes, but she needed to see one more. She couldn't be Gabby's best friend right now. Alexis deserved more than that. Gabby deserved more than that. She wasn't exactly here to assess the body, the coroner was waiting patiently behind them. She was here to help them do their job. She was here to attempt to rectify a big problem impeding the coroner and the forensic teams. She opened her eyes, for the moments it would be necessary, she was Doctor Maura Isles, Queen of the Dead.
Maura took the disposable crime scene bodysuit and booties offered to her by the coroner's team and stepped into them. She didn't want to contaminate the crime scene and Detective Morris had clearly pulled a few strings as nobody was blinking an eye at her presence. She snapped on two sets of latex gloves and started her journey up the stairs. On the landing Maura assessed the situation ahead of her, the house looked like a mess. There had clearly been a struggle, Jane was standing in the middle of the living room, turning in a circle very slowly, no doubt taking it all in. She stopped when their eyes locked.
"What the Hell is she doing here?" Jane questioned, her eyes darkening dangerously as she glared at Alec. "I told you not to involve her. She doesn't need to see this."
"I assure you, Constable Rizzoli, I've seen much worse." Maura replied curtly, before turning and looking towards the kitchen island. She swallowed down the stray emotion attempting to push its way to the surface and carefully made her way around the island, where she was confronted with the problem. Naturally not a single police officer had wanted to forcefully remove Gabby from her position clinging to the corpse of her girlfriend, she was one of theirs. Her grief was respected and Maura suspected the coroner had encouraged a more peaceful resolution as well to ensure as little destruction and contamination of evidence as possible.
Out of habit she continued to assess her surroundings and noticed an empty spot in the knife block sitting on the kitchen counter. She couldn't see the knife anywhere, if it had been used, the killer may have taken it with them. She noted everything as she knelt down beside Gabby, mindful to avoid the pooled blood and placed a hand directly on her shoulder. "Detective Wilson, I need you to gently place Alexis down on the ground and I need you to stand up slowly. Can you do that for me?"
Gabby didn't flinch. Gabby didn't blink. She gave zero indication she had heard Maura, which was concerning. Maura guided her index finger directly in front of Gabby's eyes, left and right and thankfully Gabby finally blinked and turned to look at her. Maura thought she understood what broken Gabby looked like, she had witnessed a great deal the night before, but this tear stained woman looked like she was absolutely done. It hurt her heart in too many ways to contemplate in the moment, so she squeezed Gabby's shoulder and spoke softly. "She's gone, Gabby."
Gabby's lips trembled and she nodded slowly, stammering out. "I… I… know."
"We need to take the next step now. We need to investigate, okay? So I need you to very carefully lay her down and stand up. Can you do that for me, Gabby?"
"Only if you're in charge of the forensics," Gabby's tone was half hopeful, half forceful.
"I'm not employed by the state, Gabby. You know I can't do that."
Doctor Carol Stanwick, a woman who looked to be no older than fifty, stepped forward next to Maura and said, "Doctor Isles can supervise me as I gather evidence and do the autopsy. Is that amenable to you Detective Wilson?"
Maura was surprised by the offer given she recognised Doctor Stanwick as the Chief Coroner of Tasmania. Maura wondered if it may have been nothing more than a ploy to buy acceptance from a grief stricken woman. The truth would become clear, she realised, as she felt movement beneath her hand and had to step back to allow Gabby the room she needed to place Alexis down and stand up. Gabby's entire body shook as she stood there, staring helplessly at the corpse of her deceased girlfriend.
Members of the forensics team immediately started snapping photographs of Gabby, documenting the evidence as it was presented. It left an uncomfortable feeling settling in the pit of Maura's stomach. It was harder to keep her composure than she anticipated, however she knuckled down and kept her face passive. She could worry about all the feelings from seeing Jane and Gabby's heartbreaking situation when she was home alone. Right now, Alexis was who mattered.
"It's your scene, Doctor Isles." Doctor Stanwick said firmly, as their eyes met and a mutual understanding was reached. This was her scene to guide. She wasn't to touch, of course, but she could guide.
"Thank you Doctor Stanwick." Maura glanced at one of the coroner's assistants hanging back by the stairs. "I need a privacy screen and evidence bags," She glanced over at Jane whose arms were folded across her chest. It mustn't have been easy for the former detective to bite her tongue in this situation, and Maura felt for her, but it was Detective Morris' scene and now it was hers too. "Constable Rizzoli, could you check Detective Wilson's vehicle for her emergency set of clothes. I do believe you'll be looking for a black Adidas backpack."
Jane glanced at Alec, once he nodded she grunted her obeyance and disappeared down the stairs, presumably to do as asked.
Maura hated that she needed Gabby to strip down at the scene, but her concern was trace evidence that may have transferred from Alexis' clothes onto Gabby's while she was holding her. All it took was one hair follicle and they could potentially have a DNA profile of the killer, which would go a long way to gaining a conviction, should they identify said person.
"Was any other part of the house disturbed?" Maura asked, looking directly at Alec.
He shook his head. "We've cleared the premises, the attack looks like it was localised to this area."
Maura nodded and made a snap decision, "Doctor Stanwick, could you help Detective Wilson remove her clothes in the bathroom down the hall? I don't want to expose her to more distress than necessary."
Gabby shook her head vigorously. "Don't make me go through that with anyone else, Maura. Please."
Maura understood her best friend's reticence, but there wasn't a thing she could do. Chain of custody mattered, and while she could call the shots, she most certainly couldn't participate in the evidence gathering. "You know I can't do that."
Jane returned with the backpack and held it up, her eyes locking with Maura's for a long moment. There was such sadness in her eyes, it nearly threw Maura out of her rhythm. This situation wasn't easy on anyone, especially those not as adept at shutting down their feelings. She offered a brief comforting smile in her ex-fiancée's direction before returning her attention to Gabby, "You can stand behind the privacy screen and put your clothes in the evidence bags yourself, but you must hand them directly to Doctor Stanwick."
Right on cue the coroner's assistant made it back to the top of the stairs with a portable privacy screen and evidence bags in hand. They followed Doctor Stanwick, who took the backpack from Jane, and Gabby, down the hall.
Maura let out a breath and much like Jane was doing when she arrived, she stopped and slowly did a 360 turn on the spot, just taking in the damage done to the place. Clearly, based on the shattered coffee table, broken vase and cracked television, Alexis had fought back. She looked out the glass sliding doors into the backyard and beyond. There was a wire fence which looked like it had been cut and the property backed onto a forest. It presented as a very easy way to sneak in unnoticed. Maura shuddered at the thought that Alexis' assailant had potentially been lying in wait.
"I didn't mean you couldn't handle it. I just… Maura, I didn't want you to see her like that." Jane said softly, having joined her in the kitchen. "I didn't think she'd want that."
Jane's heart was in the right place, but it was a bit rich for her to presume to know what Gabby would want. "Need I remind you, Constable, that I have seen her at her worst?"
"Fair enough, Maura." Jane held her hands up in front of her body, indicating her retreat from the situation. She looked down at the body of Alexis and clenched her jaw.
Maura followed her gaze and took a moment to really look at Alexis. Immediately she noted the significant number of stab wounds that looked small and slim, like they were made by a scalpel. She glanced back up at Jane, "Surely not?"
"Who else would it be, Maura?" Jane questioned, her voice barely above a whisper.
A chill ran down Maura's spine. Was the apprentice in town? And if this was the work of the latest Hoyt acolyte, why had Alexis been the target? It would be best to wait for the autopsy before coming to judgement. She understood Jane's very real fear, but there already felt like too many incongruities for it to be a Hoyt apprentice. "I don't know Jane, however I think it is best we put away any preconceived notions and work this scene like any other."
Jane's head turned a little in the direction of Detective Morris, who was in deep conversation with a member of the Forensics Investigation Unit, before turning back to look Maura head on. "I'm not sure I'll be working much of anything," she whispered, a distinct gruffness indicating her displeasure. "I'm lucky to have been allowed to stay and look around as is. Morris has got a stick up his…"
"Jane," Maura hissed, sending her dagger eyes, "This is not the time, or the place."
Jane took several deep breaths, nodded and smiled at a forensic tech taking photographs in the area and agreed. "You're right. I guess the upside is, you're on the case now. Well, for however long that lasts too."
Maura had it in mind to respond but she clamped her mouth shut as the background din of conversation between investigators and support staff came to an abrupt halt. She turned to look where all eyes were pointed and watched as a man of moderate stature with greying black hair and impeccable posture halted several steps into the room. He was dressed in the blues of a Tasmanian Police Officer and with one glance at the crown on his insignia she recognised he held the rank of Commander.
The Commander's eyes searched the room. They stopped searching when they landed on Jane. "Constable Rizzoli, I'd like a word."
He struck Maura as an intimidating man when he chose to be, despite his moderate stature. He most definitely commanded authority when he entered a room. She watched as Jane plastered on her brass-kissing smile and deftly manoeuvred her way across the room to greet her superior officer. She wished the best for Jane, but took the opportunity to check on Gabby.
Maura met the Chief Coroner halfway down the hall, "How is she?"
"I think you'd be a better judge of that, Doctor Isles." Stanwick's tone was clipped, but Maura got the sense it was to do with the pressure and urgency of such a high profile murder happening on her watch.
Maura clasped her hands in front of her body and nodded. "Yes, you are right. I apologise for the way you were put on the spot. I will happily step away now."
"I'll be honest with you Doctor Isles, if I hadn't been forewarned of your credentials and looked you up online, I'd have dismissed the request completely. As it stands however, your expertise may well be quite valuable. This is the most gruesome death I've attended." Stanwick held the evidence collection bags up and added, "I'll hand this to the Forensics Investigation Unit, we don't usually deal with anything other than the bodies here."
"My apologies. Old habits from Boston."
Stanwick offered a polite smile, "I was happy to help given the circumstances. You should check on the detective, I'll attend the corpse."
"Alexis." Maura corrected softly, "Her name was Alexis."
Stanwick nodded once and stepped past Maura, who quickly found her way to the bathroom. She knocked on the door and softly called out, "Gabby, it's Maura, may I enter?"
After waiting thirty seconds and getting no response, Maura knocked again and warned, "I'm coming in."
Gabby was sitting on the edge of the bathtub staring at her blood coated hands. Maura was forced to take a deep breath, her composure wavering just a little more. There was a reason investigators were usually barred from cases involving people they were close to and this was one of them. Heightened emotions could cloud thinking and while she wasn't close with Alexis, she was very close to Gabby and the impact on her best friend was certainly going to work its way under her skin.
There weren't really any words that would make this situation okay. If she knew Gabby at all, then her friend would eventually swing her thoughts around to self blame. She would blame herself for not being there. She would blame herself for losing control the night before. She wouldn't even think to blame the mentally disturbed person who actually committed the crime. Because that was another way that Gabby was a lot like Jane. She took responsibility, far too much of it. It was an admirable trait in most situations, but it had the power to lead both of them down dark, twisted paths and in many ways Maura felt like she had already lost Jane to exactly that. The last thing she wanted was to lose Gabby to it too.
Maura sat down next to Gabby on the edge of the bathtub, and as uncomfortable as she found it to be, she chose to bear it. She glanced sideways at her friend and settled on the only words that might hold any worth at a time like this. "I'm here."
Jane's eyes immediately fell on the Commander's name tag as she approached him before being ushered out onto the back porch. Hillenbrandt. It took every ounce of self control, which quite frankly she was lacking given the circumstances, not to let out a disgusted, disrespectful remark. Jacob's father was on her scene. Okay, Morris's scene, but still. She understood high profile, but she would have preferred any other Tasmanian Police Commander over this one.
"How can I help you sir?" Jane asked, standing face to face with Commander Hillenbrandt.
"I understand you were first on scene?" He queried, completely ignoring her question.
She nodded. "Yes sir, Detective Wilson and I were the first on scene."
He nodded slowly, appearing to grind his teeth a little before staring her down with a piercing gaze. "I don't particularly like the backroom deal done on your behalf Constable, but it seems congratulations are in order." He pressed a badge into her hand, "Your promotion to detective has been fast tracked."
"I'm sorry, sir?" Jane questioned, completely stunned. She thought she heard him say she had been promoted to detective, but surely she had misheard.
"Are you hard of hearing Detective Rizzoli?"
Clearly Commander Hillenbrandt didn't have a sense of humour and it was apparent he really didn't like her and yet he was still standing there handing her a promotion twelve months earlier than had been organised. Jane smiled and took the badge, extending her hand to shake his, which he reluctantly took. "Thank you Commander Hillenbrandt."
He pulled her hand, and subsequently her entire body closer and held a little tighter. He leaned in and said, "Solve this case. Oh and Rizzoli, stop feeding my son's delusions. Stop chasing spooks."
Jane's brow furrowed a little in surprise, but she extricated her hand and stepped back. His choice of wording was interesting, but she didn't have time to worry about that. "What about Morris? It's his scene sir."
"Not anymore."
"Right sir. Thank you sir."
Commander Hillenbrandt turned and walked away, stopping only to place a hand on Detective Morris' shoulder and say a few things before he disappeared down the stairs. Jane watched the entire interaction unfold and was thankful looks couldn't kill, because Alec was downright pissed off. Perhaps rightfully so. She would have been too if the scenario was reversed, so she didn't hold it against him.
Jane reentered the house and waved one of the forensic experts over, "See if you can get any prints or other trace evidence from the back fence. It's been cut. Might have been a point of entry."
The guy looked at Alec who cleared his throat loudly and deliberately. He made sure he had the attention of the room and announced, "Detective Rizzoli will be leading this investigation from here on out. If she asks you to do something, do it."
Jane watched the tech scurry away almost immediately to do as she asked. Alec then approached her and asked, "Can we have a word?"
Jane figured it was the least she owed him and nodded. They stepped outside and stood on the back porch, huddled together watching the tech do his thing across the other side of the yard. "Look, I understand if you're pissed."
Alec shook his head. "It's not that. You're probably more qualified to handle this sort of thing than I am. I'm more than aware you can do this job."
"So what's up then?"
His entire demeanour changed. His outward presentation of confidence and determination shifted, and he looked genuinely distressed, perhaps even a tad fearful, which told her she wasn't going to like what she heard next, one little bit.
"I was here this evening. Not long before this must have happened. She was perfectly fine when I left here."
So many questions inundated her brain the moment she started to process his words. Questions like why on earth had he not recused himself from the get go? Could she even trust him? She whispered harshly at him, "What the Hell were you doing here, Morris?"
"That's a long story, best kept off the record."
Of course she had to have this kind of fucking shitshow dropped into her lap. She understood his inclination to do his job. She understood his inclination to find the bastard that just ripped his partner's fucking soul from her body. That she understood, but he had compromised the entire investigation. Perfect for him, if he was actually trying to cover his tracks. "You can't be here, Morris. Fuck."
"I didn't do this, Jane. Gabby's more than just my partner, she's my friend. I'd never do a damned thing to hurt her. You have got to believe me."
Maybe she would have, if he wasn't staring at her with such striking blue eyes. Maybe she would have, if he wasn't a member of the Class of 2002. Maybe she would have, if he had immediately recused himself from investigating the scene, or at least declared his compromised position from the beginning. On the other hand, he didn't need to declare anything to her if he were guilty and trying to cover his tracks. But then, wouldn't this kind of admittance just be the perfect little manipulation if he was the psychotic asshole fucking with them? Staring at Detective Alex Morris left Jane feeling discombobulated and fucking stressed out.
"I don't know if I can believe you. You need to come down to the station and answer some questions."
"I'll do whatever you want and answer whatever questions you want. Just keep this from Gabby, Jane. If she finds out and jumps to the conclusions you're jumping to right now, I'm a dead man."
Alec seemed genuinely fearful, which struck Jane as extremely odd. Wouldn't Gabby of all people be willing to hear out his defence? Wouldn't she of all people not jump to conclusions about him? Clearly he knew Gabby better than she did and the last thing she needed was another murder on her hands. "Alright. This is a good group right? They're autonomous and thorough?"
"They'd wanna be," Alex answered firmly, "I trained most of them."
Jane looked inside the house at the forensics team going about their business. She picked out an older man and asked, "Did you train him?"
"Tony? No. He's rock solid though. I've never had any issues with him on my cases."
"Great." Jane stepped into the room, "If I could get your attention for a moment." When all eyes were on her she said, "Detective Morris and I have an urgent lead to run down. I understand you are all fantastic at your jobs, keep doing what you're doing. If for some strange reason you have any questions while I'm gone. Ask Tony. Oh and if Doctor isles suggests you pay closer attention to anything, please do that as if I myself asked you to do so. Thank you, carry on."
Jane nudged him towards the direction of the stairs, but stopped near the hallway, "Wait here, " she said, wanting to take a moment to let Maura know of the surprising change of circumstances. She had no doubt her ex-fiancée would keep things professional, but Jane felt it only fair given the heightened heartache they were both experiencing because of one another, that she warned Maura that they would be working together again.
Jane took a deep breath and braced herself before opening the bathroom door. Gabby was bent over the sink, with Maura right by her side gently washing her hands. It twinged a place of discomfort deep in Jane's soul watching the scene in front of her. The tender reverence with which Maura was helping Gabby clean away the blood of her slain girlfriend left Jane feeling like she was intruding on an intimate moment. She took a step back, deciding it might be best to inform Maura of the change in circumstances later, however when she whirled around to walk out of the room she stubbed her toe against the door frame. "Son of a bitch," she growled under her breath.
"Jane?"
Jane sucked in another deep breath and turned around looking what she hoped was apologetic for the intrusion. Her hand clenched tightly around the badge that felt like it was burning a hole in her pocket. "Hey, I didn't mean to interrupt."
Maura waved off her apology. "How can I help you, Constable?"
Naturally Maura had to be channelling her professional persona when she addressed her the second time. They couldn't even for a moment just be Jane and Maura dealing with something horrific together. No, she had to keep focused on the job, or perhaps Gabby. She shrugged it off and said, "I just wanted to check on things here and…" her voice trailed out as Maura stared unblinkingly at her, as if she were trespassing on hallowed ground. She couldn't possibly care as much as Maura did about Gabby, nope, not at all. "You know what, forget it. I can see you've got things handled."
Jane turned tail and left as quickly as her feet would carry her, not even waiting for a subsequent response because the awkwardness in that room was dialled up to a hundred when she walked in. She had never felt more unwelcome in a situation, except for the early hours of Sunday morning when Maura walked out on their relationship. She found Alec exactly where she left him and motioned for him to head down the stairs, "Let's go."
"Just take a seat, we'll do this in a minute." Jane said to Alec before ducking out of the interview room and stepping in behind the glass, where the interview room was monitored and recorded. It wasn't too different to what she was used to in Boston. The energy in the air however, felt a lot different.
Word had spread fast of her unexpected promotion and as she and Alec had walked into the station there had been some curious looks thrown her way. It wasn't surprising given the circumstances, because when had anyone been promoted like this without taking the detectives exam? When had anybody, no matter how experienced, just been handed their detective's badge in the middle of a grizzly crime scene? It just didn't happen. Until now. So the fact it had happened and she was barely on the job for a month - the suspicious stares and passive aggressive comments made too much sense.
Jane didn't care. She was used to being looked down upon by her peers. She was the youngest officer in Boston promoted to detective once upon a time, so she understood it all too well. Jane was used to proving herself and she had no doubt that this case would have her proving her credentials to this new batch of doubters, because failure was not an option. She didn't know Alexis all that well, but she was Gabby's girlfriend and despite their differences, she held a begrudging respect for Gabby and the past month had proved that respect went both ways. They might have been at loggerheads personally because of their similar personalities and taste in women, but they still trusted each other in the nitty gritty of it all. It was a big deal. So whether Alexis' murder was connected to what had been going on with Melissa throughout the years or not, Jane was determined to solve the case. She simply had to, there was no room for failure.
Jane stood watching Alec through the one sided mirror. She wanted to get a sense of who he was when he was alone, although she had no doubt he knew she'd be watching. She also just needed to take a moment to breathe. Everything was moving so fast. From the moment Gabby had answered the phone call until this point, it was just moving so fast.
When Jane closed her eyes even for a moment, the memory of Gabby's visceral anguish at finding Alexis close to death haunted her. She'd ripped Gabby's gun away from her without Gabby even realising out of fear of the detective turning it on herself. Because for an instant when she stood by watching Gabby comfort a dying woman, whilst also calling for the ambulance she knew wouldn't arrive in time, she pictured herself in Gabby's shoes. She did that because she needed to know what to expect and in most situations the detective reacted like she did when challenged in life, but with a little more intensity (which was saying something). She pictured a situation where she was busy talking shop and ignored a call from her partner, only to get a call that led to walking in on that scene and she felt violently ill. She felt weighed down with guilt and responsibility and self loathing. If she had been in Gabby's shoes, her heart would have been so crushed that she would consider putting her weapon underneath her chin and pulling the trigger. She wouldn't, of course, because she would have also been driven to catch the bastard who took someone she loved away from her. But when it was all said and done, she didn't think she'd be able to find a reason to live with the guilt day in and day out without becoming more and more reckless on the job. That thought combined with Gabby's extra volatile nature of late was reason enough to make sure she took the detective's gun away.
She hadn't even really had time to think about how seeing Maura in the old familiar setting of a crime scene made her feel. She hadn't even thought about Melissa home alone. Fuck. Melissa. This was all over the news. If she was watching the television at all, she'd know something was seriously wrong. Alexis' name had been kept out of the press for now, but it was highly unlikely that Melissa wouldn't put two and two together. How would she react to this?
Jane's instinct was to deliver the news or confirm the news in person, but she couldn't do that. Not now. Not now that she was in charge. The first twenty four hours were the most critical in a murder investigation. She had no choice but to focus on the job at hand, but still nagging doubts lingered. Worries too. What if Melissa is the next target? What if their little deal with the devil wasn't going to be honoured? Fuck.
Jane pulled her phone out of her pocket and considered calling Maura to ask her to bring Melissa down to the station, but realised that might not be possible if the coroner was intent on doing the autopsy tonight rather than waiting until morning. Given the nature of the case Jane doubted the coroner would wait and if she honoured the deal she made with Maura at the scene, then Maura was going to be busy for the foreseeable future.
She'd just have to ask some uniformed officers to do it. She walked out of the room and almost ran into Jacob. He looked at her, completely crestfallen. He wasn't in uniform, "You heard?"
"Yeah," Jacob acknowledged with a shake of the head, "I was on my way over to meet you guys when I heard. I came right here. How's Wilson doing?"
"I honestly don't know. It wasn't good when I last saw her."
He nodded his understanding of the obvious and said, "If there's anything I can do, let me know."
Jane regarded him for a long moment, knowing she really had to get in there and talk to Alec and figure out his part in all of this so she could get back to investigating. She also wanted Melissa somewhere she would be safe, under the watchful eye of someone she could trust. His eyes looked so earnest, there was no way he was playing her, was there? She shook her head with the realisation that she was under the thumb of a psychopath so bad that she was questioning her own judgement. "Can you grab Harding, who I think I saw headed for reception when I arrived and go and pick Missy up, bring her here. Park her in the break room. I'm going to be busy for a bit, but with everything that's going on."
He nodded. "Yeah I will."
Jane watched him start to walk away before walking the few steps down to the interview room. Before she could open the door though she heard Jacob speak one more time, "I'll stay with her, Rizzoli. You can trust me."
Jane offered him a tired smile, she trusted her gut. She couldn't second guess it now. "Let me tell her, yeah? If she doesn't already know."
He nodded. "I'll let you know when we're back."
"Thanks Jacob."
He took another step then paused one more time, turning he looked at her with as genuine a smile as she imagined anyone could muster at a time like this. "Congratulations by the way, as a bonus, your promotion comes with every intention to make you the scapegoat if this isn't solved before anyone else is hurt."
Jane sighed, not in the least bit surprised. "Thanks for letting me know."
"All good, Rizzoli. Dad's going to be bitterly disappointed when you prove him wrong."
"That he is, Jacob. Now go on, every minute matters."
Jane watched as he disappeared down the hall before taking in a deep breath and steeling herself for what was to come. She entered the interview room and sat down across the table from Alec, who straightened himself back up and watched her expectantly. "Interview commenced at 20:37. Detective Jane Rizzoli, interviewing Detective Alec Morris with regards to the murder of Alexis Anderson. Do you wish to have a lawyer or union rep present?"
Alec shook his head.
"Could you verbalise your answer for the recording?"
"No," Alec said, looking a tired worn down man, "I've got nothing to hide."
Jane stretched her neck side to side in an attempt to ease the tension she felt. There was a lot more than just Alexis' murder riding on this. Was he the enemy or a potential powerful ally? She sure hoped she could trust her gut on this one, because the science was going to take a little time.
"Let's start at the beginning. How do you know the deceased?"
"Alexis… Alex was Detective Wilson… Gabby's girlfriend when we went through the academy together. I met her a couple of times back in the day, but they broke up not long after we graduated anyway."
"Which year was this?"
"2002." He looked to be studying her as much as she was studying him, but he also looked like he had a lot on his mind.
"So did you have any contact with Alexis recently?"
"Besides this evening you mean? Yeah, just a brief chat at the bar she owns… well, owned, I guess… a few weeks back."
"Okay. So regarding this evening, what time were you there?"
"Between six fifteen and six thirty, something like that. I didn't look at my watch Rizzoli, I just drove there after shift."
"And how long were you there for?"
"Five minutes tops."
"Alexis was alive when you left?"
He nodded in the affirmative.
"Can you verbalise your response for the recording, Detective?"
Alec sighed heavily, but respected the process. "Yes, Alexis was alive and well when I left."
"Did you go inside?"
"I made it into the front foyer at the base of the stairs, and that's it. I knocked on the door and she let me in, but the conversation turned quickly and she decided she was done. I may have touched the doorframe on the way out, but that's it."
The forensic investigators would be able to follow up on the level of detail he provided, which Jane suspected was why he provided it. He wanted it to be very clear where he had been and why. He was sitting straight up, but his knee was bouncing with nervous energy. He wasn't at all hesitant with his replies and he met her gaze head on. She had zero reason to think he was lying, but he was definitely uncomfortable. She wanted to explore that further. She needed to know everything.
"What did you and Alexis talk about?"
"It was a private matter. All you need to know is that she was alive when I left."
"Were you sleeping with your partner's girlfriend, Detective? You stopped by to see her and she broke it off with you? Did you get angry?"
Alec chuckled a little and shook his head. "Come on Jane, you gotta do better than that. Anyone who knows me knows I have a golden rule, you don't fuck with your mate's girl."
"So then why were you there?" Jane pressed.
He shook his head. "I can't talk about that."
"We're talking about a murder here, Detective. The murder of your partner's girlfriend. You need to come clean with me."
"Can't do that."
Jane leaned forward, "Come on Alec, if you want me to believe you and go to bat for you, you have to tell me the truth."
Alec's eyes glanced towards the two way mirror and back to her. He shook his head, "I can't."
Jane sighed heavily, looked at her watch and said, "Interview suspended 20:41." She then stood up and left the room, walking next door she turned the recording device off and then returned to the interview room. She sat back down and leaned forward again, "Alright, it's off. Tell me off the record."
"I was trying to warn her off. I asked her to do the right thing and walk away from her relationship with Gabby. Things were only going to get worse if they stayed together." He said matter-of-factly, meeting her gaze dead on.
It didn't make any sense at all. Why would a man who believes in the sanctity of friendship, go behind his friend's back to try and sabotage her relationship? "Why would you do that?"
Alec sighed heavily, shaking his head, looking as if he was debating with himself, finally he said, "You've surely noticed how much the breakdown of her relationship with Missy has impacted Gabby's temper lately, right?
Jane instinctively rubbed her ribs which were still a little tender following Saturday's fight with Gabby. "Yeah, I've noticed."
"This stays between us Rizzoli, right?"
It was apparent he wanted to tell the truth, but that he was holding back to protect Gabby and well that just wouldn't help him, or her, or Gabby in this situation at all. She needed to know everything so that she could put the pieces together. She didn't think she was going to like what she heard, but if it meant turning a blind eye to something, for the truth, right now, she would. It wasn't like she hadn't already done that in the past. Someone had to protect Maura after her relation to Paddy Doyle was leaked. She wasn't ashamed to admit that she called Paddy and let him know precisely who had killed his son, Maura's half brother. It kept Maura safe. It wasn't exactly legal, or moral, but she'd do it again in a heartbeat. "You have my word, Alec."
He studied her for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Gabby threw a punch at Alexis last night. She pulled it before it connected, but it almost happened and she was fuckin' beside herself this morning. If it weren't for Maura, I dunno, Rizzoli. She's struggling. That relationship was toxic. It couldn't be anything but, because from day one Alex hated her being a cop. Gabby left her for a reason."
"Gabby threw a punch at her girlfriend?" Jane couldn't help but fixate on that one little fact, because Gabby was a big part of Maura's life.
"She pulled it, Rizzoli. I know what you're thinking, don't. I've seen them around each other. The way that Maura took care of her while she was recovering from her accident and even now, I know that she soothes Gabby in ways that nobody else ever has. Gabby's not a threat to Maura, but she's a threat to herself and she could have been a threat to Alex."
"So you were worried about them both? That's why you wanted to talk to Alexis?"
"Yeah, but as usual, all Alex could see was what was good for Alex. She refused to listen. So I left. There was no point beating a dead horse, Rizzoli."
Jane grimaced at his poor choice of words, but continued asking questions. "Why didn't you say something to me when you first arrived on scene?"
"Because you were just a constable. It wasn't your job to investigate. I only let you stay on scene because I knew you could help. Because I want to catch the bastard that did this as much as, if not more than you do, Rizzoli."
That explained why he had called Maura against her wishes. He clearly wanted the best of the best on the case, and well, she couldn't blame him for that. However, Jane wasn't so sure anybody, Alec included, wanted to solve the murderous shenanigans that had been plaguing Launceston lately more than she did. "Why is that?"
He leaned back in his chair and tapped at the table with his right hand, but kept his eyes on her. It was a little unsettling. Finally Alec spoke, "Because I made a promise a long time ago to someone very important to me."
"A promise, to whom?"
"Are you sure you want to travel down this rabbit hole, Jane?" He asked with a surprising softness in his eyes and voice. "Because once you do, you may not like what you find."
"Alec, I am so far down this rabbit hole already. I'm not sure there's much you could say that would surprise me."
His eyes lit up with mirth, as if he was willing to accept that challenge. "You wanna bet?"
"Lay it on me."
"I made that promise to Rachael." He watched her and nodded as it dawned on her which Rachael he was referring to, "We were together for a while when we were at the academy, but we broke up. She left me. Still, I loved her and when she came to me a week before she died and out of nowhere starts asking me if, you know, something were to happen to her, would I have Gabby's back? What could I say? I thought it was absurd she'd ask that. The three of us were tight. So yeah I promised her I'd always have Gabby's back. Sometimes, that means doing things she wouldn't like me doing, like talking to you about last night."
Jane was pretty sure if they had actually made a bet, she would have lost it because her face was quite expressive and her shock was quite real. Not once in her time talking with anyone who knew anything about Rachael had anyone mentioned a short lived romance with Alec. Did anyone else even know it had happened? Staring at him, she was certain he had absolutely nothing to do with what happened to Alexis, which worried her because it meant there might be more than one psychopath out there. Because while she was sure he hadn't killed Alexis, he had the perfect motive to want to take Melissa out. Revenge over a broken heart. "It can't have been easy for you after the accident, finding out about her relationship with Missy."
Alec rocked back on his chair before sitting forward again. He continued to study her while he did so. Jane felt like he was buying time to make his own deductions. She was glad he had checked his weapon in when they had returned to the station, because otherwise she would be incredibly nervous. Finally, he simply laughed and laughed and laughed until it died down and he looked a shadow of himself, a sad, sad shadow of himself. "You think I was the one that tried to kill Missy in Chicago, don't you?"
"Did you?" Jane shot back, not missing a beat.
He ignored her. "Do you love her?"
It was the second time that day someone had asked her something along those lines. It was a question she wrestled with herself, a question that she realised her subconscious had already answered tonight. From Gabby it made sense. From Alec? What the Hell was she missing? "I don't think that's any of your business."
"Because Rachael loved her. She loved her enough to break my number one rule and tell me about it. She loved her enough to risk throwing away the most important friendships in her life. She loved her enough to want me to make sure she was okay. Rachael didn't care about anything other than Missy's happiness and safety. She loved her enough to sacrifice her life for her. So yeah, it's my business."
Jane was floored by the quiet tenacity in his statement. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't do anything other than emphatically state facts in such a way that she was left feeling sure of one thing, he loved Rachael a great deal and by proxy cared greatly about the two people that had been most important to her. Gabby and Melissa. "You still love her, don't you?"
He nodded. "Are you going to answer my question, Jane?"
"Are you going to answer mine?"
A/N: Okay, this is a safe space, let it all out. How did that chapter make you feel? Also, how do we think Rizzoli & Isles are going to go teaming up again? How is Gabby going to react in the light of a new day? How we feeling about our theories on who the big bad is?
Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts, it helps keep me motivated!