Shut the Front Door!

Jane knew in her gut that her best friend did not commit this murder currently being investigated. She steadfastly believed in her innocence though Dr. Maura Isles was the chief suspect at this time. Circumstantial evidence seemed to be piling on rapidly, but Jane along with her partners Korsak and Frost were doing everything they could to find the real killer and obtain the evidence needed to remove Maura as a suspect in this case. Initially, Maura's keycard to the BPD morgue was found in the victim's car. The victim was a man that Maura had met the night before at a fundraiser. There were other things. Maura's fingerprints, a hair sample, were all found in the victim's car. The lieutenant ordered that Maura be treated like no other suspect to avoid even a hint of favoritism. During questioning, which was handled by Jane, Maura was as forthcoming and truthful as she could be. She even admitted to being in the victim's car. It was obvious to her colleagues she was unable to account for gaps of time most likely through no fault of her own. It seemed as though Maura more than likely had been under the influence of some type of substance that had been slipped to her maybe in a drink. She still seemed a little out of it at times. A tox screen and unfortunately a rape kit would be done post interview. Maura also had bruises on her arm that could be either offensive or defensive. In the interview room Maura was not placed into custody, but she had to give all of her clothing including her underwear and be placed in a processing jumpsuit to be taken to the hospital. She had to strip in front of her colleagues and though Maura had never been ashamed of her body, under the circumstances she felt very anxious and ashamed. Because Maura was not yet under arrest, she was not handcuffed. The lieutenant sent Jane who was the lead investigator on the case and a patrolman to take Maura to the hospital to have the rape kit performed. Maura asked for an attorney but held off on calling her parents.

The rape kit was mortifying for Maura. Because it was unknown at this point if Maura was a person of interest in a murder, hospital policy insisted she be handcuffed to the bed for the safety of the hospital staff. Jane was furious about this but there was nothing she could do. Maura could not relax at all. She cried and cried. The doctor kept telling her to relax but it was to no avail. It dawned on Maura that she could have been raped since she could remember almost nothing and she began to get hysterical. Jane tried to calm her down by telling her how much she knew she could never have killed this man unless she trying to defend herself. Jane told Maura very quietly in her ear that she loved her very much and she would find out what happened and this would all go away. Nothing helped. Whenever the doctor came close to Maura, she became hysterical. She began to move side to side and took her feet out of the stirrups and tried to get off the table. The doctor told Jane to try and calm her down or they would sedate her. Jane knew the evidence must be obtained since this was a murder case and it was becoming really hard because she just did not want Maura to be hurt in any way. Jane knew Maura was innocent. They just needed some time to find out what happened. A rape victim has a choice as to a rape kit but Maura was also a suspect. Maura would not calm down. Jane then begin to cry softly so the doctor took over and called in the patrolman that had accompanied Jane and Maura to the hospital and asked Jane to step out and get herself under control. Maura was then given a very mild sedative and restrained. Her screams were heard all over the emergency room. Jane ran back into the room; she removed the restraints, asked for a little privacy and time, and she threw everyone out of the room. No one argued because they would not have been heard over the screaming anyway. Jane held Maura's head and began to talk to Maura.

Jane explained to Maura that she understood this was an appalling experience. She reminded Maura that the exam could also offer a reason why she had the bruises, as shocking as that reason might be. Then Jane did something that she knew could get her fired. She knew that Maura was panicking that she may have actually been raped. She asked Maura if she wanted her to look. Jane had seen enough rape victims to know what to look for externally. Maura started to calm down as Jane held her and told her yes. Jane kissed Maura's forehead and lifted the sheet. She gently separated Maura's legs and looked along Maura's thighs and at the entrance to her vagina. She gently rolled Maura over and checked her bottom and the back of her thighs. It did not appear Maura had been raped.

Jane turned Maura back over and told her she saw nothing externally to indicate a sexual assault. She then told Maura that she needed to let the doctor do his job to be certain one way or the other. Jane again told Maura she loved and cared for her and they would figure it out. The mild sedative had kicked in and Maura almost inaudibly said ok and looked at Jane helplessly through tear-filled eyes.

Jane gently cuffed Maura back to the bed and went and called the doctor back in to complete the exam. The doctor came back and asked Maura to place her feet in the stirrups, due to the sedative she had been given, the insertion of the speculum was not painful but it was still unpleasant. She was swabbed in and around her genital area, her bottom/anus was swabbed, evidence was collected from inside her mouth and from under her nails, her hair was combed for samples, blood was collected for tox screens and samples from her thighs. Maura almost became hysterical again in spite of the sedative.

When it was over Jane drove Maura home. Maura insisted that Jane go back to work and try to find out what happened. Maura poured a glass of wine and went to take a bath. She felt devastated.

After what Maura had gone through that day, Jane never saw it coming that it would be her own self-centered, interfering mother that would cause Maura to be arrested and thrown in jail.

Angela, who long since had overstayed her welcome at Maura's guesthouse as it was never meant to be a permanent arrangement, had been practicing self-defense moves with Maura. Often, so they could review their workouts and moves they were learning, they would make videos. Maura always tried to do fun things with Angela to make what had actually turned into the never-ending pain in the ass houseguest situation into something bearable and positive. No matter what, Angela was Jane's mother and Maura loved Jane. Even still, Angela went into Maura's things and was often making herself at home in Maura's house instead of staying in the guesthouse. Often she gossiped about Maura's comings and goings and who she dated to Jane and other people around the police department. She worked in the police café and also used this as a reason to traipse into various departments being nosy, interfering and spreading gossip. She asked questions about cases and harassed Jane about getting a man under the guise of caring about her, when it was really about her and what she wanted which was grandchildren. A blind person could see that Jane and Maura only had eyes for each other. Even Angela saw it but she continued to try to set them both up with men out of some misguided belief that if they were together it would be wrong. Hell every man either one tried to date was fodder for humorous discussion between the two ladies.

Less than half a day into the investigation into the allegations against Maura, Angela was in the café chomping at the bit for information. When Maura's assistant, Suzy, came into the café, Angela immediately dropped what she was doing and walked over to Suzy and asked specifically about the dead man. Suzie unfortunately thinking she was probably engaging with someone she could trust considering everything Maura had done for Jane's mom told Angela the probable cause of death. Angela looked like a dog in heat as she realized she had a video showing Maura executing that type of blow. However, she chose not to tell Jane or Korsak or Frost or Frankie. She went directly to the captain who she was currently fucking even though it placed her kids in a possible conflict with their boss. Both Jane and Frankie had made their feelings known on this at various times.

As the homicide detectives watched the video, Angela stayed in the bullpen in the back until she saw Suzy walk in then she immediately left the area before Suzy could put two and two together that she had offered evidence against Maura. After viewing the video, Cavanaugh sent Jane, Korsak and Frost to arrest Maura and place her in custody. Suzy had also submitted a report that physical evidence in the victim's car belonged to Maura.

Angela always told Maura she thought of her like a daughter. Jane wondered if she had been in Maura's place, or one of her brothers, would her mother have done the same thing. Jane knew the answer. She only had to think of the way her mother constantly and consistently defended her troublemaker brother Tommy to know the answer, or how she blamed Jane herself for every decision Frankie made for his life if it was not one that Angela gave her approval. Jane was beyond furious with her mother. Her mother had been trying to 'catch' Cavanaugh for a long time and now Angela used Maura's dire circumstances to further cement her relationship. Later that night Angela told Jane she did it for her so Jane would not commit obstruction of justice by destroying the tape to protect Maura. Apparently, she deemed Korsak incapable of doing the right thing also though she had ran to him when Sean Cavanaugh dumped her ass last year. Angela shamelessly pretended that she did it for Janes' career but that was preposterous because Angela spent most of her time dissing her career and trying to devise ways to get Jane to quit her job. She even blamed Jane that her brother Frankie became a cop. There would come a time very soon to confront her mother over this betrayal, but for now Jane had to go to the airport.

Once Maura was arrested and brought to jail, Jane called Maura's mother who was opening a gallery showing in New York City, explained what was happening and asked her to come. Maura and her parents had finally formed a positive relationship and Maura was going to need the support of her real mother. The mom that came terms with past errors in judgment, but always loved her daughter no matter what. The one that did the best she could to raise Maura even when she felt she was not good at being a mother. The one who'd adopted Maura when asked without reservation and kept her safe.

As she pulled up to the curb at the airport, she saw Constance Isles, speaking on the phone, looking very solemn and waiting none too patiently.