AN- Hello everyone. Welcome to this R&I FF. Thank you for all of your comments and for reading this. I am a couple chapters ahead, however, I will likely post once a week. Life is busy and this is a hobby so please be considerate of that. While this is an AU FF, it takes place in the R&I universe. The one thing that is truly different is Maura knows her biological mother and sister by now but does not know who her biological father is. This will be important in later chapters. I hope you enjoy this FF.
Happy Reading
Chapter Two
Jane entered Maura's home the next day feeling exhausted. She tossed her keys in the dish and opened the gun safe that Maura had installed to place her gun and badge inside. She could hear music playing softly in the kitchen and rowdy voices coming from the living room. She stepped out of her shoes and made her way to the kitchen, smiling as she caught sight of Maura in her apron stirring a pot of sauce at the stove. Her mother was nowhere in sight. Jane took a moment to just observe Maura, contentment replacing the exhaustion she felt only moments before.
"Hey Maur."
"Jane." The blonde turned, smiling widely to see her friend. "There's beer in the fridge."
"Where's Ma?"
"She has a headache so I told her she should go lay down for a bit. She wanted to stay in case I needed her help so she's resting in the first floor guest room."
"Do you need help?"
"I don't think so. The pasta will only take a few moments. The bruschetta is in the oven. You could grate some fresh parmesan for the salad if you would like."
"I love Ma's bruschetta."
"I know." Maura replied with a smile.
Bolognese sauce with Angela's homemade pasta was Maura's favorite dish that the older Rizzoli made. She rarely allowed herself to eat something so heavy but it would likely be the last time they made it until the fall, the summer months being too warm for such a heavy dish. Both Maura and Angela preferred lighter foods in the summertime, opting to make more vegetables, salads, and grilled fish. Jane always managed to squeeze in a lasagna or gnocchi night at least once a month though.
"I was thinking next Sunday since it's the holiday weekend we could do a barbeque in the park for Sunday dinner. Do you think Ma would go for it?"
"I think she would love it. We could make a pasta salad and maybe marinate some chicken or fish."
"I was thinking more like burgers and dogs, Maur."
"Hmm, we'll see about that." The blonde replied. Jane knew it was already a lost cause at that point but that didn't mean she wouldn't try to sway the woman by bugging her all week about it.
Jane set about grating the cheese for the salad while Maura pulled out the pappardelle pasta that she and Angela made that morning after the farmers market. The blond just needed to heat it and slowly mix it into the sauce. The two worked in tandem, the soft music playing in the background while occasional shouts from the living room could be heard. Each woman was lost in her own thoughts as they worked. Jane finished the cheese and pulled the salad from the fridge to put on the table. She poured Maura a glass of wine and opened herself a bottle of beer that she sipped from as she set the table.
"I'm going to go check on Ma." Jane said, placing a hand on Maura's hip and pressing a kiss to the side of her head.
Jane was already at the guest bedroom door when she stopped. Has she done that before? It had been something that felt so casual and right in the moment that she hadn't thought about it before doing it. Being in the kitchen with Maura had just felt so domestic. It was something she always enjoyed and truthfully looked forward to. The fact that Maura hadn't seemed to mind made Jane wonder how long they had behaved this way toward one another. There had been several instances lately that had given her pause and made her wonder if it had always been this way. She knew this was not like other female friendships she had had in the past. Truthfully, she hadn't had many female friends in adulthood but the ones she had had were nothing like the one she shared with Maura. She didn't let herself think too deeply about that though.
"Ma? You ok?" Jane asked, knocking on the door lightly but opening the door before getting a response.
"Yea, I am feeling much better, sweetie. How is Maura doing with dinner?"
"It's just about done. You feel like coming to eat?"
"Now that my head is feeling better I do feel hungry."
"Do you need to go to the doctor, Ma?"
"No, Jane. It was just a headache. I haven't had one in a while but remember I used to get them. Maura gave me some tea, magnesium, and peppermint oil. I also took some good ole excedrin and I'm feeling much better."
"Ok, Ma. I will go gather the troops. Take your time, we will wait for you."
"I'm just going to freshen up a little, I'll be right out."
Family dinner was a crowded affair. Korsak had shown up with Kiki and wine while Jane had been checking in on Angela. Frankie, Nina, Frost, and Tommy had already been in the living room entertaining T.J. with a new train set he had gotten for his birthday. And just as Jane was herding everyone into the dining room to sit for dinner, Ron and Lydia showed up, both having come straight from work. Ron held a bouquet of flowers in each hand. One being a dozen white roses for Angela and the other being a tulip mix with bright spring colors for Maura. Jane had to hand it to the guy, he was good at wooing the women in Jane's life. Lydia followed him into the kitchen carrying two boxes from Angela's favorite bakery. Frankie and Tommy placed the leaf into the table for Maura while Jane and Frost went to the basement for extra chairs. By the time they returned, Angela was back in the kitchen helping Maura put dinner into serving dishes.
"Oh I am so happy you all made it. I think it was Christmas the last time you all made it to a Sunday dinner." Angela said.
"These are for you." Ron said, handing Angela the roses. Then turning to Maura, he handed her the tulips, "And for always being such a gracious host, I got these for you."
"Thank you Ron, they are very lovely." Maura replied, a dimpled smile gracing her face as she looked for two vases.
"I got it, Maur." Jane said, realizing the woman was several inches too short to reach the cabinet where she kept the vases.
Jane stretched over the smaller woman to reach the vases, her front pressing into Maura's back as she pushed the smaller woman into the counter. Jane reached the two vases she knew Maura would like and handed the green one to the blonde, knowing it was her favorite. Jane noted the pink flush on Maura's face and was about to ask her about it when Angela reached for the other vase in Jane's hand. Maura quickly moved to the sink, filling the green vase before clipping the ends of the tulips and placing them into the vase. Jane noted that the blonde avoided eye contact the entire time. Something was definitely up with Maura and it wasn't just because it was her time of the month.
When the group finally sat down to dinner, it was loud. Korsak and Kiki talked to Angela and Ron about the new rescue they had brought in. Tommy, Frost, Frankie, and Nina were in a heated discussion over the Cubs versus the Red Sox. TJ excitedly told Jane and Lydia about his field trip to the children's museum while Maura sat quietly enjoying every moment of the chaos that would have once sent her to her room for solitude. Jane noticed Maura's quietness and nudged her. The blonde smiled at her and Jane motioned for the ME to follow her.
"Who is ready for dessert?" Jane asked, standing.
"Oh me!" Nina exclaimed.
"What's for dessert?" Tommy asked.
"Cannoli and tiramisu, both from your Mother's favorite bakery on the North end." Lydia replied, it was on her way to Maura's from work.
"That was very sweet of you, Lydia."
"Anyone need anything else?" Jane asked, pressing her hand against Maura's lower back to lead her to the kitchen.
"Another beer for me, Janie." Frankie said, holding up his empty bottle.
"Oh me too." Frost said, also holding up his empty bottle.
"Sorry boys, active case, we're all on call. Limit is one beer each." Jane replied.
"Do you need help?" Angela asked.
"No, Maura is going to help me." Jane replied, giving the other woman no choice but to move toward the kitchen.
Maura made her way to the kitchen pulling away from Jane's hand and heading straight to the refrigerator to remove the tiramisu. She needed to cool down and a diversion from the lingering feeling of Jane's hand on her lower back. Maura busied herself with gathering the dessert while Jane went to the cupboard to gather dessert plates and forks. Maura cut the tiramisu into scarily equal pieces while Jane added cannoli to each plate. The brunette smiled as Maura cut one piece of tiramisu in half and put one part on a plate for herself and one on a plate that Jane knew would belong to TJ. Jane placed a mocha cannoli on the four year old's plate.
"Mocha, pistachio, or lemon?" Jane asked the blonde, knowing which cannoli she would choose but wanting to start the conversation on safe ground.
"Lemon, please." The blonde replied without looking up from dishing the tiramisu onto twelve plates.
"So you gonna tell me what's wrong?"
"Hmmm?" Maura asked, she had been lost in her own thoughts.
Jane was wearing a shade of blue that Maura always found striking on the woman. That paired with a very form fitting pair of jeans that accentuated the woman's mild curves had Maura very distracted. She could still feel the heat on her lower back from Jane's hand pressing against it. However innocent the gesture had been, Maura's body had responded to it in an increasingly troublesome way. Just as it had with Jane pressing into her back with her full body earlier.
"I said, are you finally going to tell me what is wrong?" Jane asked, placing a hand on Maura's forearm.
"I'm just distracted, Jane."
"Maura, we both know there's more to it than that, why won't you talk to me?"
Maura stared down at the plates. It was only from her years of practicing meditation and yoga that she was able to keep her breathing steady. Her arm where Jane's fingers rested tingled. Somehow, acknowledging her feelings had alerted her body to respond to the other woman in a way she had previously been able to suppress, mostly at least. Her cheeks felt flushed and Maura felt seconds away from overheating under the scrutiny of Jane's stare. Jane's fingers moved to her jaw, gently tilting the other woman's face up in order for them to make eye contact. Jane's dark brown orbs were full of concern as they bore into Maura's causing the blonde to become tearful.
"Maura?" Jane questioned softly.
"I'm sorry, my hormones…" Maura whispered, horrified. Jane let go of her face and rubbed her back gently.
"Hey, what's taking so long?" Tommy asked, coming into the kitchen, "Whoa, hey, what did you do, Janie?"
"What? Nothing, why would you think I did something?" Jane defended herself as Tommy walked over to Maura, placing a hand on her back.
"Ma, Jane made Maura cry!" Tommy yelled into the dining room.
"Oh for Christ's sake, Maura, tell them I didn't…." Jane said as Angela came into the kitchen looking as if she were ready to give Jane a tongue lashing.
"I'm sorry, excuse me." Maura said, rushing from the room, embarrassed that her emotions had gotten the best of her but more importantly, she felt the flush of hives creeping up her neck.
"Jane, what did you do?" Angela demanded.
"Ma, I swear, I was just trying to find out why she's been so sad and distant lately. I didn't do anything." Jane explained, wondering how this had gone so badly.
"I'll go check on her." Angela said.
"No, give her some space, Ma. I'll go check on her in a few minutes." Jane said.
"Rizzoli, we gotta go, surveillance tapes have been released, it's all hands on deck." Korsack said, entering the kitchen and breaking up the tension.
"Oh come on." Angela protested.
"Sorry, Ma. Tommy, there better be tiramisu and cannoli left when we get home." Frankie shouted, pointing an accusing finger at his younger brother.
Angela and Tommy followed Jane to the door where Frankie, Nina, and Frost stood waiting for Jane and Korsack. Frost handed Jane her phone which she had left on the table, they all grabbed their guns and badges from the safe in the front hall before heading out. Jane heard Ron and Lydia delivering the desserts to the table and the detective prayed that Angela was able to recruit enough help to get the kitchen back in shape to Maura's standards.
XXXXX
Maura returned to her kitchen fifteen minutes after Jane left, apologizing to everyone and assuring them that Jane had done nothing wrong. After complaining of a headache and not feeling well to explain her unusual emotional reaction, Kiki and Angela shooed her into the living room to rest. Angela brewed her a cup of hot peppermint and chamomile tea and provided tylenol. Once Angela and Kiki had sufficiently mothered her, Kiki, Ron, and Angela cleaned the kitchen. Lydia and Tommy were tasked with clearing the table and returning the extra chairs to the basement once Maura was tended to. TJ was sound asleep on one end of the couch, his little snores and facial expressions reminding the blonde of Jane. Maura felt guilty for sitting in the living room while everyone cleaned the mess but as Tommy handed her a large glass of water and rubbed her shoulder affectionately, she felt cared for. A warmth washed over her, there was no way she could jeopardize losing not only Jane but this entire group of oddballs that she loved and was honored to be a part of.
XXXXX
"Ok, Frost, can you zoom in there?" Jane asked.
She was distracted. She knew for sure something was up with Maura and was frustrated that her friend wouldn't talk to her about it. Right now though, she had a case to solve. Jane and Vince crowded over Frost's shoulder as they watched the surveillance tape from one of the alleys. Frankie and one of their newer recruits, Blake, were crowded behind Nina watching the surveillance cameras from two of the shops across from the alley entrance. Blake may be new and young but she was a quick learner with good instincts and a bright mind, Jane could see her potential.
"There!" Blake exclaimed, pointing to the screen.
Frankie squinted while Nina scrolled back a few frames and replayed the tape to see what the young detective had seen. Sure enough, there was a vehicle that had been seen in other surveillance tapes, it had been the only lead they potentially had but couldn't tie the sedan to the location of the body dump. Now, here it was driving by the alley less than an hour before the call came in.
"Can we get plates?" Vince asked, coming over to the screen to see the vehicle paused on Nina's computer.
"The image is too distorted when I zoom in but we have a make and model." Nina replied.
"Wait, what's that in the back window?" Jane asked, pointing to a sticker in the left corner of the back window.
"Looks like a school logo." Frankie commented.
"St. Mary's." Jane said, recognizing the colors and the emblem of her old school.
"Holy shit, you're right, Janie." Frankie replied.
"So our killer or at least the person who dropped the body is associated with St. Mary's?" Blake asked.
"Not necessarily, the car could be stolen, they could have bought the car with the sticker already in it… We can't jump to that conclusion." Korsak explained to the young officer.
"Right, sorry." Blake replied.
"Look, there's the car again." Nina pointed to the screen as they watched the same car drive the opposite way six minutes and thirty three seconds after its first pass.
"Not enough time for a body drop." Frankie said.
"No, probably not." Korsak agreed.
"Unless there's more than one person." Frost said, still looking at his own screen.
"Why would you think that?" Blake asked.
"Does that look like someone in the passenger seat?" Frost asked, pointing to the slightly cracked window of the passenger seat.
"Possibly. It's hard to tell, the windows are too dark." Jane replied, frustrated.
"Wait, I have something. Look, this couple crossed in the crosswalk in front of the sedan, they might have gotten a look at the driver. If they did, they might also have noted if there was a passenger. Look, here, the man looks like he made eye contact with the driver." Nina pointed out on her own screen.
"Then let's find that couple." Jane said.
Two hours later, Nina and Frost had identified the woman. The face recognition software had recognized her. She had been in trouble for petty theft in her late teens which had earned her a record. Jane paced, biting the corner of her thumbnail as she waited for Korsak and Frankie to get back from interviewing the woman. Blake and Frost continued watching the monitors in hopes of finding more witnesses or a possible suspect on the surveillance cameras. Jane and Nina had been tasked with a late night food run.
"Ready?" Nina asked, returning from her bathroom trip to find Jane pacing.
"Yea, the pizzas should be ready when we get there."
The women discussed the case as they walked the two blocks to the pizzeria that Korsak liked. Jane couldn't complain. The pizza was hot, fresh, and they always gave them a hefty discount, plus they were open late at night, even on Sundays and holidays. When they reached the pizzeria, Jane went straight to the counter to get the pizza while Nina headed to the refrigerator in the lobby to grab the sodas they had ordered.
"Are you and Maura fighting?" Nina asked as the duo walked back to the precinct together.
"What? No, why would you think that?"
"Tommy said Maura was crying earlier when the two of you had been alone in the kitchen together. And I don't know, something just feels off between the two of you."
"Has Maura talked to you at all?"
"No. We haven't had much time for anything fun recently. We do have a rain check for shoe shopping though."
"Ugh, better you than me."
"I love shoes. And I especially love shoe shopping." Nina replied.
"I don't know what is going on with Maura, but there is something she isn't telling me."
"Hmmm." Nina replied thoughtfully.
"Hmmm? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. It's just interesting, that's all."
"What's interesting?"
"I mean you're her best friend, right? Why wouldn't Maura confide in you? Has there been a time she wouldn't before? I mean is there a topic she generally avoids talking to you about or tries to hide from you?"
Jane stopped for a moment and looked at Nina. The woman might be onto something but that didn't make Jane feel any better. In fact, it made her feel sick to her stomach. The last time Maura had dogged her questions and been this emotional had been when Ian had visited. But that had been years ago. Was Ian back? Jane didn't like the thought of that at all.
"I take that as a yes." Nina said, observing the darkness settling over Jane's features.
Jane didn't respond, she just yanked the door open and stalked through it, juggling the pizzas in her arms. Nina quickened her pace to catch up, just barely making it as the elevator doors slid open. Nina looked at Jane out of the corner of her eye, she had definitely struck a nerve.
Korsak and Frankie had returned from the woman, Kitty Braun's, house while Nina and Jane had been picking up their pizza. Jane could tell by the look of disappointment on their faces that she had either been unwilling to talk or had not been home. After a quick conversation, she learned that Kitty hadn't been home so they had left their card taped to her door. With no further leads, they had returned to the precinct to help continue looking at the footage.
"Pizza break." Nina shouted.
Jane watched in amusement as Frankie, Frost, Korsak, and Blake quickly dropped what they were doing for pizza. Despite the bolognese and bruschetta they had eaten for dinner, the long hours of staring at a screen coupled with the stress and frustration that came with a brutal murder case had caused all of them to require a midnight snack. Almost literally Jane thought as she glanced at the clock and saw they were merely moments away from midnight. Once they were all satisfied from their greasy pizza, they resumed their positions, looking over the footage again.
"Guys, does this car look familiar to anyone else?" Frankie asked, pointing back to Nina's screen as the woman tried different techniques to catch a license plate.
"It's the sedan we already discovered." Frost replied.
"No, I mean, the make and model."
"It's an old Lincoln continental." Korsak replied with a shrug.
"Black sedan with dark windows…" Frankie whispered as he stared at the screen.
"You're not suggesting a link to the cops?" Korsak growled.
"I mean it could be. A lot of old timers drove those. So did the mob." Frost replied.
"Who are you calling old?" Korsak asked, folding his arms over his chest.
"Do you think this could really be mob related?" Blake asked.
"It's not impossible but it would be odd." Jane replied.
"How so?" Blake asked.
"The mob doesn't like to draw attention to themselves unnecessarily." Korsak answered, still glaring at Frost who was pointedly avoiding eye contact.
They were all silent for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts and the possibilities of what a mob involvement could mean. Aside from the car, nothing specific pointed toward a mob hit. Why would the mob take out Jennifer Doe? And even if they had a reason to, why would they dump her where she could easily be found? It just didn't make sense to Jane.
"It's getting late. I want everyone back here bright and early tomorrow. I need everyone to bring their best so go home and get some sleep. It's going to be a long week with long days until this is solved." Korsak said.
Everyone nodded but no one moved. Frost rewound his footage, watching it again to see if he missed anything while Jane stood behind him biting her thumb nail but watching just as intently. Nina, Frankie, and Blake were discussing possible suspects while Korsak gathered up their paperwork and stacked it neatly in a pile and then shoved it into a folder. The older man stood and looked around the room, sighing loudly.
"That wasn't a suggestion, that was an order. Time to call it a night." Korsak said.
"Yea, just a sec." Jane replied without looking in his direction as her eyes zoomed in on the screen.
"Rizzoli, now." Korsak said. Jane looked up and sighed, she nodded her head at the old man.
"Alright guys, you heard Korsak, time to call it a night." Jane said.
The group of six detectives slowly gathered their things and made their way outside. Jane had ridden over with Frankie and Nina so she walked over to their car with them. Korsak watched from the driver's door of his vehicle as each detective made it to their vehicles. Once everyone was safely out of the parking lot, he followed them out, ready to climb into bed with Kiki and grab a few hours of sleep. Frankie and Nina pulled up to Maura's house and Jane got out. She was tempted to go inside and stay the night at Maura's but the blonde's emotional reaction earlier made her decide to give her friend some space. Plus the thought of Ian possibly being around made Jane experience emotions she wasn't ready to unpack. Even the thought sent the green eyed monster aflame with a jealousy so intense that Jane had to exercise every bit of breathing and meditation that Maura had ever taught her to get even the slightest bit of sleep.
XXXXX
The next morning, Jane arrived at the station first. Her normal morning routine was to stop by Maura's for coffee and breakfast but this morning she had decided to stop and get coffee, bagels, and donuts for everyone from the bakery down the street instead. She still didn't know what to make of Maura's reaction or what was bothering the blonde so she had decided to avoid it for now. Jane worked on spreading out the cream cheeses, bagels, and donuts across an empty desk while she waited for the rest of her team to arrive. Jane was so absorbed in her thoughts and the aroma of the donuts that she nearly missed the telltale sign of heels on the tile.
"I got you a chai latte with oat milk, Maur." Jane said, turning before the other woman had a chance to speak.
"Thank you, Jane." Maura smiled. It was awkward, both women felt it. Maura felt herself blushing at the memory of the last time they spoke.
"I, uh, I'm not sure what happened last night but I am sorry for upsetting you." Jane said, rubbing the back of her neck as she spoke.
"No, Jane, I owe you an apology. I am afraid I am not in control of my emotions right now." The blonde replied. That was definitely not a lie.
"I feel like there is something you're not telling me, Maura. I am trying to be patient, you're allowed to have secrets." Jane said. She had thought about this a lot the night before and all morning.
"Jane, I…" Maura started but they were interrupted by Frankie and Nina entering the bull pen.
"Mocha latte, extra mocha and espresso, you're my hero, Jane!" Nina said, grabbing her iced beverage. Jane shook her head, she didn't understand the whole iced coffee thing.
"Extra cream, extra sugar and jelly donuts. You're the best, Janie." Frankie said, shoveling the donut in his mouth.
Maura looked on in what Jane could only be described as half bewilderment and half disgust. Jane snickered when a bit of jelly squirted from the end of the donut Frankie was enthusiastically eating and landed a few inches from Maura's Louis Vuitton heels. Maura stepped back several feet, bumping into Korsak as the older man entered the bull pen.
"Sorry Doc. Frankie, there better be a jelly one left for me." Korsak shouted, searching the box immediately then grabbing a jelly donut.
"Relax, there's plenty." Frankie said around his mouthful of donuts.
"Honestly guys, you would think you have never eaten before." Jane said, rolling her eyes but grabbing the chocolate donut with chocolate sprinkles before anyone else could claim it.
Frost and Blake entered a few moments later, each grabbing their own coffees. Frost with his usual iced caramel and Blake with some drink that was so complicated Jane had to hand her phone over to the barista for her to read it. All Jane knew was that it was topped with whipped cream and so much drizzle that it looked more like a dessert than a coffee.
"What happened to good ole black coffee?" Korsak asked in bewilderment as he watched Frost, Blake, and Nina drinking their sugary iced beverages. Frankies was also full of sugar but at least it was hot sugar.
"Cheers." Jane said, gently tapping her paper cup against Korsak's.
"I should head down to the lab. I have two autopsies that came in over the weekend to get done." Maura said.
"Have a good day, doc." Korsak said.
"Talk to you later, Maur." Jane replied, turning to join the rowdy group so they could get started. They had a lot of work to do.
XXXXX
Maura sighed as she finally entered her office. Back in the quiet and away from Jane, she felt much more in control of herself than she had since entering the bullpen. Something had shifted significantly over the weekend. While Maura had been aware of her attraction and feelings, she had not allowed herself to fully accept them or examine them too closely. But since Saturday, everything had changed and she had no idea what she was going to do.
Despite the yoga and meditation she had done that morning before coming in, she still felt stressed. The blonde decided to do a short meditation session before getting started on her work. She shut the door, put nature sounds on the sound machine, and sat cross legged on one of the couch cushions on the floor. Unlike this morning, the ME was able to clear her mind and focus on her breathing for a full ten minutes. She exhaled deeply as her alarm sounded at the end of her ten minutes, placing the pillow back on the sofa. Five minutes later she was changed into her black scrubs and was standing beside the first of her two autopsies.
"Ok Mr. Bjorn, let's see what that heart of yours looks like." Maura said.
By lunch, both autopsies were complete and Maura was in her office writing up the autopsy reports. Mr. Bjorn had indeed died from a heart attack. While his young age had prompted an investigation, his cholesterol levels and weak ventricles confirmed the cause of the heart attack. He had died quickly, they called his type of heart attack the widow maker for a reason. Maura thought about the donuts she had watched Jane consume that morning and made a mental note to talk to the woman about her eating habits and inquire about her last physical.
Maura's second autopsy report was just as routine. Mr. Faux had died from bacterial pneumonia. His old lungs and immune system were just unable to fight the infection. His death hadn't been as quick, though he had lived many more years than Mr. Bjorn. With both reports written, Maura decided to take a quick lunch break with Susie. The young woman had asked Maura to join her in the cafe when she was done with her reports. Normally Maura and Susie both packed their lunches but she knew there was a cop who frequented the cafe on Mondays and Susie was working up the nerve to ask for his number. Maura was going to provide her friend with some moral support.
"Stop, stop, you didn't…." Maura laughed as Susie recounted her disastrous time in the cafe prior to Maura's arrival. Maura had only just sat across from the younger woman when she had burst into an explanation about what had just occurred.
"I did. He thought I was propositioning him. I had to show him my badge, Dr. Isles." Susie replied, completely mortified as she placed her head in her hands. Despite her embarrassment, she laughed along with Maura.
"So did he give you his number after all of that?" Maura asked, a devious smirk on her face.
Susie grinned and then looked around to see if anyone was watching before she pulled the wrapped condom with a number in permanent marker written on it. It was too much for Maura, the woman erupted into a fit of giggles once again, Susie joining in, while also shushing the other woman. A man who handed his number out preprinted on packages of condoms was not likely the type of person Susie would want to date but the entire transaction was just comical.
"Oh, do you think he is really a size large?" Susie asked, inspecting the package more carefully.
"Let me see that." Maura said, trying to grab the package from the other woman but Susie was too quick. She held it above her head and out of reach of the blonde. Unfortunately for Susie, Jane had just walked up and snatched the package out of her hand, not knowing what it was.
"What do we have here?" Jane asked, looking down at the item she had pulled from Susie's hand.
Maura erupted into giggles once again as both Jane and Susie turned near identical shades of crimson. Maura scooted over as Jane motioned for her to let her in. Susie's hands once again covered her face, the condom package now on the table of the booth between them as Jane quickly discarded it. Jane waited for Maura to compose herself and Susie to remove her hands from her face for someone to explain what the hell was going on.
"Susie has a thing for Officer Waterton." Maura replied, still trying to catch her breath.
"So she wrote her number on a condom package for him? Seems a bit…aggressive…" Jane replied, clearly confused.
"No, no, she may have been a bit…enthusiastic in asking him for his number. She mentioned her time as a nudist and it snowballed from there. He gave her his number written on the package." Maura replied, trying desperately to keep her composure.
"Huh. Officer Waterton is definitely not a size large." Jane commented, now picking up the package again and inspecting it.
"How would you know?" Maura asked, all laughter gone from her voice.
Jane looked at Maura for a second. Her tone was off but she couldn't place what exactly it was that was off about it. Maura watched the other woman carefully, her arms crossed defensively over her chest, her eyes narrowed as she waited for Jane to answer. Jane couldn't help but feel like she had suddenly done something wrong. She felt like that a lot lately in Maura's presence.
"Remember that one night from the Dirty Robber that I was telling you about?"
"There were a lot of nights at the Dirty Robber, Jane."
"No, the one where things got a bit out of hand and some of the guys started comparing sizes, literally. They made bets and two of them actually whipped them out while a third was measuring with an empty beer bottle. Korsak and I had to threaten them with indecent exposure arrests to get them to put them away. Let's just say, I saw a lot more of Officer Waterton and Detective Mueller than I ever wanted to."
"Oh, gross. That actually happened?" Susie asked.
"Afraid so." Jane replied.
"Guess I won't be using that number, keep it." Susie said, sliding from the booth.
"Oh no, that is all yours, Susie." Jane said, flicking the package in Susie's direction and leaving the woman no choice but to discreetly stuff it in her pocket.
"I should get back too, I have a meeting with a weapons specialist. He's going to try to help me determine or at least narrow down what kind of weapon we're looking for on our Jennifer Doe." Maura said, checking her watch.
"Want to grab a burger at the Robber tonight? It's trivia night, we could slaughter Frankie, Frost, and Korsak again." Jane asked. Last week, Nina, Maura, and Jane had killed the boys, in large part due to Maura but Jane and Nina held their own.
"I'm afraid I will have to pass, Jane. I am having dinner with Hope and Cailin. Cailin called and invited me this morning. Can I get a snow check though?"
"It's rain check, Maur and of course you can. Let me know how it goes with bio mom, yea?"
"Of course."
Maura wasn't even back to the elevator yet when her phone rang, she sighed, seeing it was dispatch on the caller ID and answered, "Isles."
She turned to see Jane answering her phone at the booth. The two women made eye contact as the tall detective nodded in Maura's direction and headed toward the elevator too. Both women spoke into their phones as they waited for the elevator. As the elevator chimed its arrival, they hung up their phones in unison.
"I have to go ask Susie to meet with the weapons specialist from BU." Maura said, stepping into the elevator. Jane joined her as she sent a text off to Korsak.
"I'll go with you. Korsak and Frost will meet us onscene."
After a quick conversation with Susie and instructions for her to send the tech team to recover the body and gather evidence, Maura and Jane made their way through the morgue taking a short cut to the stairs that led to the parking garage behind the building. Jane preferred to park out front but the ME always parked in the garage. It infuriated Jane sometimes with the stubbornness of the blonde. They had had multiple conversations over the years about the dangers of parking garages.
"Maura, if you're going to insist on continuing to park in the parking garage then…"
"I already have mace, Jane. And I took self defense at your insistence, remember?"
"Yes, I still just don't like it."
"I park in a different spot on a different floor, always in a well lit area, near an emergency box, and I know where all the cameras are. I am taking all the precautions, Jane." Maura replied as they reached the blonde's Pruis.
"Maura, we're responding to an actual scene, let me drive."
"Fine." Maura caved, not in the mood for Jane's impatience with her driving.
They were still bickering over minor things when they pulled up to the scene. It started with Jane taking a different route than Maura had expected when they pulled out of the precinct and hadn't stopped since. Both women were feeling frustrated but only one knew the exact cause of said frustration, at least on her end. Maura knew her recent revelation had placed a metaphorical wedge between herself and Jane but there was little she could do to remove it, less she wanted to end their friendship and potentially lose everyone she held dear.
Maura was out of the car as soon as Jane placed it into park. She stalked over to the crime scene, her heels clicking on the pavement as she did. Jane cursed under her breath, unsure why she and Maura had just spent the past ten minutes arguing over trivial things. They never did that, not unless there was something bigger going on. She watched as Maura approached the scene and one of the officers who had called it in held the tape up for her, his eyes landing on the ME's backside as she walked away. It irked Jane, she knew for a fact that Gorsch had a thing for Maura. He had gone on and on and on about the blonde one night at the Robber not realizing in his drunken state that he was talking to a group of people that happened to be closest to the ME. Jane had held a grudge against him since, though she didn't care to examine why.
"Who found her?" Maura asked.
"A dog walker. He said his dog ran away from him and he found the dog in the alley next to the body." Korsak said.
"What have we got, Maur?" Jane asked.
Maura knelt down, examining the woman's body closer. She looked to be in her early thirties. A quick examination of her fingertips showed that they had been burned off, likely in the same manner as Jennifer Doe's. Unlike their previous victim, this was a redhead. Also, unlike their previous victim and perhaps more importantly, her teeth seemed to be intact. Maura checked for lividity and a liver temp before answering Jane.
"I would estimate her time of death as six to twelve hours ago." Maura replied.
"Does it look like it's related to our Jennifer Doe?" Jane asked.
"Same relative age group and her fingertips burned off in the same manner. But her teeth are intact." Maura lifted up the woman's shirt carefully and sighed. "She has a Y-incision on her abdomen."
Frost wretched and took a few steps away from the scene while Korsak and Jane leaned in. There was a horizontal incision across the entirety of the woman's abdomen, the Y part being on the right side. There were enough differences that they wouldn't immediately be able to say whether she was killed by the same people or person as Jennifer Doe but the presence of a Y-incision was telling.
"Her clothes appear to be several sizes too small." Maura commented.
"I want the dog walker brought in to officially give a statement." Korsak said.
"I will let Officer Gorsch know not to let him go." Frost said, wanting an excuse to put distance between himself and the body.
"Can we get some photos here?" Jane asked, noting a footprint in a soggy piece of posterboard.
"What have you got?" Korsak asked.
"Possible footprint."
"After Anita finishes taking the picture, get some measurements please, Ben." Maura directed her team.
"This alley looks pretty similar to the alley where Jennifer Doe was found." Korsak commented.
"I agree. They were smarter this time though. No businesses across the street with cameras." Jane noted as she surveyed the scene.
"Thank you, Tom." Maura said. Jane turned to find Gorsch helping Maura to a standing position and she ground her teeth together.
"Gorsch, you're supposed to be getting a statement from the witness." Jane shouted over her shoulder through gritted teeth.
"Detective Frost is speaking with him."
"You're not part of the homicide team so you should not be crossing the tape, you're no rookie, you know better."
"Jane…" Maura said, shocked by Jane's hostility toward Officer Gorsch.
"Have you forgotten protocol too, Dr. Isles?"
"No, of course not, I am part of the committee who revises the protocols every year. Officer Gorsch, Detective Rizzoli is right, you shouldn't have crossed the crime scene tape." Maura answered, her own temper moments from flaring.
"I apologize, Dr. Isles. I was only trying to help."
"You are forgiven. I appreciate your assistance Officer Gorsch."
Jane watched as the young officer smiled at Maura before shooting Jane a look and ducking back under the tape. Maura waited until he was a fair distance away before she stalked over to Jane. She needed to get back to the lab sooner rather than later and she knew Jane would need to be at the crime scene a bit longer.
"I need to get back to the lab."
"You taking Goofy with you?"
"Goofy?" Maura asked, bewildered.
"Yea, Officer Gorsch, it sounds like Goofy's laugh."
"I am not sure who Goofy is but you don't need to be mean to him, Jane. He was only being a gentleman."
"He could have contaminated the crime scene by crossing the tape, Maur."
"Well I will make sure we get molds of his shoes just in case then."
"Good." Jane replied, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm going back to the lab. As soon as you are done, my team can transport the body." Maura replied, turning to walk away.
"Maur, wait." Jane said, guilt suddenly flooding her. She had no idea why either of them were acting the way they were toward each other, "I'm sorry, ok. I was a jerk. Drive safe and text me when you make it back, yea?"
Maura softened at the look of concern and clear regret that Jane was giving her. The detective had done nothing wrong and did not deserve the wrath of Maura simply because the blonde was miserable over her recent revelation. Maura gave Jane a smile and a nod, not trusting herself to speak before she turned and walked back to her car.