A/N: I decided to post this chapter early. It might be two weeks before the next chapter is posted.
Snapshots 4.0
Chapter 2 – The Retirement Ceremony
Scene: The Artist's For Humanity Epicenter in Boston, Massachusetts
Date: Afternoon of Thursday, June 30, 2039
Jane and Maura arrived at the Artist's For Humanity Epicenter at 11:35 AM. Their ceremony was due to start at noon sharp. They 'worked the room' engaging in short conversations until it was time to take their seats.
There were so many people present Jane hated it. She hated a fuss being made over her. She didn't mind them fussing over Maura as Maura deserved all the praise for her successful career. Maura had accomplished a great deal and had improved the functionality of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
There was a big screen television behind the podium and pictures of Jane and Maura and other members of BPD at various work sites and crime scenes were being displayed. Frost had made sure that no gory photographs were shown. He had some but this was not the time or place for those photographs to be shown. He couldn't think of a good time or place for those photographs to ever be shown. He wasn't even sure why he still had them. There was no music playing in the background, as they knew people would be talking to each other before the ceremony began.
Jane just felt as though she was doing her job. She never liked attention being brought to her. She knew her case completion rates were high and she credited that to when she worked with Maura in the early years. They made a great team and worked well with each other and it was noticed.
As Jane rose through the officer ranks, she consistently made improvements so that the department would continue to enjoy such success. She felt it was her duty to give back and train her fellow officers just as Maura trained the upcoming medical examiners. After forty years she felt it was time to retire and enjoy what time she had left traveling and enjoying life with her wife.
At 11:55 a tone was sounded and a voice came over the sound system asking everyone to please take their seats. Jane and Maura made their way to the head table. At the long head table was the Mayor, all of the Governors that Maura had worked for as well as the former Commissioners and Superintendent-in-Chiefs that Jane had worked for. Korsak, Susie and Frost were seated with the family at the tables right in front of the head table. Everybody at the head table would make some sort of speech during the ceremony.
The MC for the ceremony, the Director of Public Relations at BPD, Stacey Jacobson, introduced everyone at the head table and then told all of the guests that lunch would be served and then they would start the ceremony at exactly 1 PM and if people were still eating that was fine. The servers had already started serving lunch as she spoke.
At 1 PM sharp the MC started the retirement ceremony by having everyone rise for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. After the colors were posted the department Chaplain gave the invocation. Everyone sat back down. The MC then introduced the Police Commissioner and the Governor who would jointly conduct the ceremony.
The Commissioner began, "Today we are here to honor two people that have been instrumental in setting high closure rates for murder cases in the Boston Police Department, Superintendent Jane Rizzoli-Isles and Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Maura Rizzoli-Isles. In case you didn't know they are married to one another." There was laughter heard in the audience.
When the laughter died down the Governor took over the podium and said, "Since they started working together back in the summer of 2009, the homicide case closure rates have skyrocketed. They immediately developed a system that worked well for them and it enhanced their abilities to solve crimes. Jane," she turned to Jane and asked, "is it okay if I call you Jane?"
Jane replied, "Of course, please do, as of tomorrow that is all I want everybody to call me, well except for this lady right here." Jane pointed at Maura and once again you could hear laughter in the audience.
"Well then Jane, some of you may not know that Jane's mind is very methodical in seeing details in cases that others might miss. She processes facts at an alarming rate. Maura, is it okay if I call you Maura?"
"Yes, ma'am, you are my boss until this day is over, so yes, you can continue to call me Maura for the rest of my life." Maura said with a huge smile. There was more laughter and then the Governor continued, "Maura reorganized and expanded the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and through her superior management and organizational skills she was able to speed up the processing time for evidence which assisted the police officers in closing cases faster and more accurately. She set up an intern and training program to train all medical examiners in the state and other states."
The Commissioner and Governor continued going back and forth on the achievements of the two women. They had arranged with the other Commissioners and Governors that they would speak for all of them. So, each of them presented notes and worked on the speech as a team. An unprecedented first. That is not normally how things were done but this was for Jane and Maura and they never did anything the way it would normally be done, so they thought it was fitting to combine their speeches.
The Commissioner spoke, "I would like to hand the microphone over to Superintendent-in-Chief, Genevieve 'Gen' Booker." Gen smiled at Jane and Maura and then said, "Superintendent Rizzoli-Isles joined the Boston Police Department's Academy on July 1, 1998. She excelled both academically and physically setting new Academy records in the process. She is one of the few cadets to graduate as Honor Graduate in both the Academic and Physical portions of the Academy."
"Immediately upon completion of the Academy she started as a patrol officer. After six years on the force, she became a detective. Although her goal was to be in homicide she had to work in other units until a position became available. She worked in the Drug Unit for six months and then in Vice for another six months. When she transferred to Homicide, she was the youngest detective to ever be assigned to Homicide and the first female detective."
"She was promoted to Sergeant, March 1, 2011, Lieutenant on June 1, 2016, Captain on October 1, 2019, Deputy Superintendent on June 1, 2026, and Superintendent May 1, 2034. I would list the medals she has received over her 40 years of service, but we would be here all night, let's just say she is a very well decorated police officer. She hates the word … 'hero' but that is what many have called her for years."
Gen handed the microphone over to the Governor who had stepped up to the podium, "Let me list Maura's promotions, … um, … well that would be none, she started at the highest position she could obtain in her career field with us. Dr. Rizzoli-Isles, like her wife, is also highly decorated having been presented awards from both BPD and the State of Massachusetts in her thirty-year career. I would now like to call up to the podium, former Senior Criminologist, Susie Chang Frost, Dr. Frost."
Susie stepped up to the podium, the Governor handed her the microphone and she said, "Thank you Governor, I had the honor of working with then Dr. Isles and introducing her to the personnel in the department on her first day. I tried several times to introduce her to then Detective Rizzoli but the detective always seemed to be out of the office when I attempted to introduce them. They finally met on their own as Detectives Rizzoli and Frost went down to the morgue to meet the new Medical Examiner." Susie paused and took a sip of water as she was becoming emotional.
"Maura encouraged me to pursue my goal of becoming a doctor. I had told her over the years that I wanted to be a pediatrician. She knew I loved working with her and that I didn't want to leave, but she told me that we would always be friends and that she wanted me to pursue my dreams, and I did."
Susie wiped away a tear and "She was that way with all of her staff, not just me, although I didn't know it at the time. So, if HR was looking at the high turnover rate in the crime lab it wasn't because of people not being able to work with her. It was because she wanted better for her staff. She has and continues to be an inspiration to me. Jane and Maura, my dear friends, enjoy your retirement, you deserve to take time for yourselves and enjoy the rest of your life together." Susie walked over and gave Jane and Maura a big hug. They both stood up to embrace their friend and former colleague.
The Commissioner stepped up to the podium, "I would now like to call up Sargent Detective Retired, Vincent Korsak." Korsak rose and walked up to the podium.
"Oh man, the stories I could tell you about these two women." He paused then continued, "I was fortunate to have met Jane during her junior year of high school, at her school's annual career fair. She knew then that she wanted to be a homicide detective. Even then she was very driven. We met for coffee at least once a month after that. I obtained permission to treat her like an officer in training that wanted to be a detective. She worked the simulated cases and asked the correct questions and finished the cases faster than any police officer I had ever worked with, but she wasn't a police officer, she was a high school student. My lieutenant was highly impressed with her and said we needed to keep an eye out for when she joined the police force."
He paused and took a sip of water and then continued, "When she graduated from the academy, we still had our coffee meetings and she still worked simulated cases. I asked the lieutenant if I could have her work on real homicide cases. He said I would need to clear it with her patrol supervisor and our Superintendent. I spoke with our Superintendent and he had no problem with it if her lieutenant said it was okay. The lieutenant said I could have her one day a week and a few hours here and there. I took it."
"Jane came to work with me once a week after she had been in the department for only six months. When she took the test for detective, she received an almost perfect score on the exam. She worked in the drug unit for six months and then vice for six months and then she became the youngest detective ever to join the Homicide department and the first female. I was so proud of her. I knew from the first time she handed me her completed simulated case that there was something special about her. I'm not going to say it has been all roses and puppy dogs, because it hasn't."
Snickers could be heard in the audience because anybody that knew Jane, knew that she could be difficult at times. She was loved and feared in the police department. She was also very good at her job and she had the respect of almost all of her peers. There were a few that felt she didn't deserve to be where she was but as with any job you would always have people that felt that way. The brass of BPD didn't listen to those few people, they looked to her service record and the recommendations of her superiors.
Korsak continued, "I just want to say Jane, it has been my pleasure working with you and helping to mold you into the great police officer that you became." Jane nodded at him and then he looked to Maura.
"Maura, words can never express how happy I was when you joined our department. In the two weeks you worked under contract with us, I was impressed with your ability and work ethic as was our lieutenant. I had no idea that you and Jane becoming friends would turn the homicide department upside down and make our closure rates sky rocket."
"When the two of you became friends, I could see a difference in Jane both personally and professionally. She was happier and more at ease and her individual case closure rate went up. She was great before you came to work with us, but she was even better when she was working with you."
"You have been a great friend to me over the years and I am so proud of what you have accomplished for yourself, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and BPD. Thank you for moving to Boston all those years ago."
Jane and Maura rose as Korsak approached them. He gave them each a bone crushing hug. He missed seeing them. Since they had their children, they didn't make it to the Dirty Robber as much as they use to.
Gen reached over and handed Korsak a radio and he took Jane's hand and led her up to the podium. "In 2012 after serving over 32 years on the police force, then Sergeant Detective Rizzoli-Isles placed a radio in my hand for me to sign off for the last time on my last day as an active police officer, so it is my honor today, all these years later to do the same for you. Superintendent Rizzoli-Isles will you please call dispatch for the last time?"
"Korsak, you are going to make me cry." Jane said as tears came down her face.
"I will tell you what you told me back then, 'welcome to the club' kiddo," Korsak said as he also had tears running down his face. Maura was so taken by the exchange she rose and went to Jane's side and held her hand before Jane could make the call to dispatch. Their hands were hidden by the podium and only those to the side of them could see that they were holding hands. Jane was still in uniform and Maura didn't want her to get into trouble.
Jane looked over at Maura and dropped her hand and put her right arm around her waist and pulled her in close. With Maura snuggled up to her she brought the radio up to her mouth and pressed the mic button on the radio with her left hand and said, "Victor Eight Two Five, Ocean Frank."
The dispatcher replied, "Thank you for your service, Superintendent Rizzoli-Isles. Job well done." Korsak, Jane and Maura hugged each other as Deputy Superintendent Frost walked up to the podium. Korsak, Jane and Maura took their seats.
Frost instructed, "Can everyone please rise," after everyone stood, he read the retirement orders, "By the order of the Superintendent-in-Chief, Genevieve Booker, the following member is hereby retired from active Police Service for the Boston Police Department effective this date June 30th, 2039, Superintendent Jane Rizzoli-Isles, badge number 825."
"Ladies and gentlemen at this time please extend your congratulations to Superintendent Rizzoli-Isles on her retirement from active police service for the Boston Police Department." Jane and Frost hugged each other and then they both hugged Maura.
The Governor stepped up to the podium and called up Maura, "Dr. Rizzoli-Isles can you please join me at the podium?" Maura stood and walked over to the podium. "We don't have a ceremonial speech for your retirement so let me say, on behalf of the great citizens of Massachusetts, I would like to thank you for your thirty years of service as the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."
"Your service record is superior as is your training program, evident by the number of other states that have sent their medical examiners to be trained by you over the years. We will miss your leadership, but I am confident that you have trained your replacement well. Thank you for your thirty years of service to the State of Massachusetts. Enjoy your retirement."
Everyone in the audience stood and clapped their hands. They knew the sacrifices Jane and Maura had made over the years. They were proud of them. After a few minutes everyone sat down and the Governor turned the podium over to the Mayor who offered his thanks to all in attendance and he congratulated Jane and Maura. He then offered the microphone to Jane and Maura so they can address everyone in attendance.
Maura spoke first, "You know my wife and I just wanted a simple ceremony and to walk out on our last day and have a nice dinner with family and then enjoy whatever time we have left on this earth to travel and see the world and just spend quality time together. Everybody here has touched our lives in some manner and we appreciate all of you."
"We have been kidnapped, stabbed, shot at and through it all we have survived to live another day. We deserve to retire and so if it is okay with all of you, I would like to take my wife home and enjoy time with our family. We have missed so much with them over the years. It is now time for us to put ourselves first. Thank you for a wonderful career and your friendship."
Jane nodded and stepped forward and simply stated, "What she said." Everyone started laughing. That was such a Jane thing to say.
The MC walked up and said, "This concludes our ceremony if you all can please stand while our colors are escorted from the room." The Honor Guard promptly marched out of the room with the American Flag and the State of Massachusetts Flag. The head table then departed. They formed an archway and as Jane and Maura approached the archway participants all held up lightsabers for Jane and Maura to walk under. Jane was so surprised. She loved it.
They stopped at the end of the Archway and greeted all the guests as they vacated the room. Jane leaned over and whispered to Maura, "This archway made the whole ceremony worth it, I love it." Maura smiled at her, she knew Jane would love the lightsabers. It wasn't in the protocol but she didn't care, she had this done for Jane. If Jane had to have a ceremony, she wanted her to have something she would enjoy, and having lightsabers for the archway was very Jane-like.
A small reception with light snacks was held across the hall and after an hour of socializing with the attendees, Jane and Maura left and went home. Frost and Frankie's promotion ceremony would be held tomorrow and a retirement party with family and friends would be held after the promotion ceremony. More family than Jane wanted but as her mother stated, "How many times to you retire after forty years of service and not all of the family could attend the retirement ceremony."
Jane had to agree with her mother. Not all of her family was invited to the ceremony as the room only held so many people and Jane really didn't want the fuss. Tomorrow she and Maura would be civilians and she was so looking forward to it.