Hey guys so this is it. The story that is bringing my inspiration back to life and giving me a break from my usual thing. It may seem to speed along but it's only the first chapter trust me there's a lot more to this story then a murder. Also on that note I will mention this is a Rizzles story but it will take time to progress. So yes there will be brief romances that aren't Rizzles but they won't be with someone like Casey, Dean, Ian, Jack, Kent etc. I hope you enjoy this story. I really do. So thank you very much for reading, please take the time to tell me what you think thus far and as always enjoy.

Chapter 1

Detective Jane Rizzoli eyed the crowd gathered outside of the yellow crime scene tap. Most of them were passersby who just wanted to see what was going on. Others were patrons from the bar across the street from the scene. A few reporters had also joined the audience in hopes for a story to release on the news later that night. For the homicide detectives of the Boston Police Department it was just another day on the job.

"Bruising around her eye and jaw. Defensive wounds on her lower arms suggesting she fought back…" Jane glanced down at the medical examiner kneeling next to the victim. Dr. Maura Isles looked up when she felt eyes on her. "If you're about to make a comment about me guessing I am simply making an observation."

"I was actually going to ask if you had an idea on cause of death, but I appreciate the thought." Jane had worked with Maura for years and the two had fallen into a pattern of friendly teasing and serious work.

Maura cocked an eyebrow at her friend picking up on the sarcasm that had been directed at her. Jane nodded at the victim urging Maura to continue her preliminary observations on the victim. Sighing Maura turned her attention to the woman who laid lifeless next to her. She pushed aside the scarf around the victim's neck. "There appears to be more bruising around her neck. It does not look as if it were caused by her scarf."

"So she was strangled?"

"Perhaps." Maura confirmed as she rose from her position. "But I won't know for sure until I get her back to the morgue."

Jane crossed her arms over her chest shooting a sideways glance at the medical examiner. "You're no fun Maura."

Maura shook her head almost rolling her eyes at the detective. Her job wasn't to guess. It was to provide evidence and facts about the victim. Jane started to move away when the techs began to prepare the victim for transport. Maura followed suit a moment later. She wanted to get back and determine what the woman had gone through when she died. It bothered her that anyone was capable of taking a life.

XXXXX

Detective Vince Korsak stood with his partner on the porch of their victim's, Grace Harper, home. They had learned that she had a fiancé, Cody Stanton, and that the two had lived together. Korsak and Jane had gone to notify him of his fiancée's murder and ask him a few questions. It was never an easy thing to do and it was something the detectives hated about their job.

"I can't stand this part of the job… telling someone their loved one has been killed…" She reached forward to ring the doorbell again. Chimes went off behind the door then fell silent. "Maybe nobody is home?"

Korsak had just taken a step away from his partner to peak through a window when the front door opened. A man in his early thirties standing in sweatpants and a t-shirt eyed the detectives but didn't speak. He was handsome, with short golden hair and green eyes. Jane felt bad for him.

It took her a minute to orient herself but when she did she pulled back her blazer to show her badge. "I'm Detective Rizzoli, this is my partner Detective Korsak. We're Homicide Detectives for the Boston Police Department. Are you Cody Stanton?"

The man didn't respond right away. He looked exhausted almost dazed. When he finally did speak his voice was soft but heavy with obvious fatigue. "Yeah I'm Cody. You're homicide detectives? What are detectives doing around here?" For a minute Cody remained confused at the detective's presence. Jane was about to continue when she noticed the color drain from Cody's face. Suddenly he looked panicked and worried any trace of his tiredness disappeared. "Oh my God is it Grace? Did something happen to Grace?!"

Jane glanced at Korsak, who nodded and took point. "Mr. Stanton why don't we go inside and have a seat." The older detective stepped forward to put a hand on Mr. Stanton's shoulder in order to comfort him and to get him to move inside. Mr. Stanton nodded and allowed Korsak to lead him into the living room when he collapsed into a chair. Jane followed behind the two men shutting the door behind her. she sat with Korsak across from Mr. Stanton. At first neither of the detectives spoke wanting to give Cody a minute to get his bearings.

He sat staring at his hands unwilling or unable to look at the two detectives. Jane decided the he was waiting for them so she spoke up. "Mr. Stanton I'm sorry to have to tell you but your fiancée was found dead this morning." Jane flinched when Mr. Stanton took a sharp breath and began to tremble as the words registered with him. "You have our condolences we are sorry for your loss." Tears began to roll down Mr. Stanton's cheeks. Jane reached out to give a comforting squeeze on his knee.

"We understand this is extremely hard Mr. Stanton but we would like to ask you a few questions when you're ready." Korsak was soft-spoken as he addressed Mr. Stanton. He didn't want to push the man understanding it was important he allowed the man time to process what he had just been told.

Jane and Korsak sat quietly and patiently as Mr. Stanton cried. Every now and then a word or two would slip from his mouth but not much more than that. Korsak rose to look around the room as they waited, leaving Jane to watch Mr. Stanton.

After a while his trembling stopped and he looked up at Jane with red eyes. He wiped them on his sleeve and took a deep shaky breath. Jane noticed that he looked tired once more the panic having turning into sadness. He looked like a man who was broken.

"Mr. Stanton if you want we can come back and talk tomorrow if you need some time," Jane offered, looking at Korsak for his approval. He gave it with a nod.

"No… No it's alright I want to help you anyway I can," he proclaimed his voice shaky. "Please call me Cody. Mr. Stanton just doesn't sound right."

"Of course Cody," Jane nodded giving him a small smile. "Can you tell us about your fiancée? Did she like to go out by herself or maybe with friends?"

"Grace never liked going anywhere without someone with her. She said it made it easier to meet people and to get out of unwanted propositions from drunk guys," he recalled. His focus left Jane and Korsak as he thought about Grace. He let a sad smile cross his face. "She was always careful when she was out. Hell she even did some self-defense training after a friend of hers was attacked."

"When was her friend attacked?" Korsak inquired.

"Two years ago I think," he shook his head. "Grace wasn't with Jen when it happened. She heard about it from another friend."

"Did Grace go out last night to a club maybe or a bar?" Jane took over again. She and Korsak normally switched between asking questions but when they didn't Jane would take the lead.

"Last night?" Cody ran a hand through his hair causing some parts to stick straight up. "Last night was Sunday… um yeah Grace went out with a friend of ours. Her name is Alex we went to school together."

"What is Alex's full name?"

"Alexis Eldsfield." Cody paused turning to meet Jane's eye. "You don't think she could have had anything to do with this?"

"As far as we know she was the last person to see your fiancée alive, whether that means she had anything to do with Grace's murder we'll have to figure that out," Jane explained to him. She was actually surprised they had gotten a lead so early in the case. It was unusual but not unheard of. "Ms. Eldsfield wasn't the person who called 911 is there any reason she would have left Grace alone?"

Cody rose from his seat and made his way over to a shelf. He picked up a picture frame and ran his fingers over the picture it held. His back was to the detectives but Jane could tell he was thinking.

"Alex isn't a bad person Detective Rizzoli. She just forgets that not everyone is as capable of taking care of themselves as she is. If she left Grace alone at a bar or a club or where ever they went I'm sure it was for a good reason."

"She sounds like a handful," Korsak spoke up for the first time in a while.

Cody smiled turning to face them again. He handed Korsak the picture he'd been holding. "The three of us went diving down in Florida last year. One of the other divers in the group got a little too friendly with Alex. She made her point by pinning his arm behind his back and threatening to break is fingers."

Korsak handed the photo to Jane. She recognized Cody and Grace immediately both were smiling happily as if nothing else in the world mattered. The third person in the picture Jane assumed was Alexis Eldsfield. She was good-looking but not in the same vein as Grace. Her smile was one of an overjoyed kid who won a trophy. She certainly didn't look like a killer but looks could be deceiving.

"You looked happy," Jane remarked.

"We were. All three of us."

"Cody we have one last question," Korsak informed him. "Did Grace have any enemies anyone who might have wanted to hurt her?"

"Enemies? No Detective Korsak not that I know of. Grace was friends with everyone. People loved her. I'm sorry."

"You've given us a place to start Cody thank you," Jane assured him. "If we have any more questions we'll be in contact. I'll give you my card in case you think of anything else that may help with the investigation or just need to talk."

Cody took the card that was offered to him. Jane could tell he was numb at the moment and knew he would probably breakdown after they left. He led them out thanking them again before he shut the door behind them. Korsak and Jane headed towards their parked car Jane moving to get into the driver's side.

"Let's see what Nina can dig up on Alexis Eldsfield before we go talk to her."

"We could have Frankie pick her up," Korsak suggested.

"I want to have an idea about who we're dealing with before we do that," Jane explained. "Besides I want to talk to Maura about the autopsy. Maybe she found something that will help."

"You think this Eldsfield woman is good for it?" Korsak asked.

"She's the best suspect we have at the moment," Jane replied. "If she is guilty I have a feeling she's the kind of person that gets spooked easily."

Jane had never been one to make assumptions too early on in an investigation but she had felt suspicious of Eldsfield after hearing Cody Stanton's description of her. Grace had been covered in bruises when they found her. It was possible that Eldsfield had been the one to cause those bruises.

XXXXX

Maura removed her safety glasses and latex gloves setting them aside on a surgical tray. She reached up and wiped the sweat from her forehead. The morgue was hotter than usual she had asked Kent to take a look at the AC when he got the chance. She found herself wising her scrubs weren't as thick as they were. Deciding to ignore her discomfort Maura turned her attention to the victim, Grace Harper.

She wasn't much younger then Maura. Her features were soft free of any kind of long term stress. Maura imagined her as having been a very attractive woman when her face hadn't been covered in bruises. She never liked seeing people on her table. If they were there it meant that someone had taken away their future. Taken away their voice. It was why Maura did what she did, to give victims their voices back. Maura leaned into the autopsy table all of her attention on Grace's face.

"We'll find who did this to you," she said fully aware she would not receive a reply.

Maura hadn't noticed Jane enter the room and wasn't expecting it when someone spoke behind her. "Dr. Isles is right; we will find the person who did this to you." Jane was directing her comment at Maura more than she was Grace.

The medical examiner jumped at the sound of her friend's voice. She turned, nearly knocking her surgical instruments off of their perch. "Jane!"

"Hey easy. I didn't mean to scare you." Maura would have believed her if Jane could have kept herself from chuckling. "You have anything for me? Cause of death? Trace evidence? Killer's DNA? Instant coffee maybe?"

"Cause of death is asphyxiation from strangulation. From the patterns of the bruises around her neck the killer most likely came up behind her and used something to strangle her," she explained while Jane nodded. "I'm having the lab process her belongings for any trace evidence. And as for DNA I found saliva just below her right ear. Kent is running it now."

Jane continued to nod absently as she went over the information in her head. Maura watched her still in awe after all the years they had worked together at her friend's ability to work problems in her mind. She had always found it interesting that Jane would fiddle with her hands perhaps subconsciously when she way focused.

"That's great Maura." Her usual excitement was absent as she moved to stand by Grace's head. "What can you tell me about these bruises?"

"Based on the coloration they happened an hour maybe two before she was killed. I'm placing time of death around 3AM."

"So she was roughed up and then two hours later someone strangled her," Jane noted. "What did the killer use to strangle her?"

"During my preliminary exam I didn't find any fibers that would suggest something like a robe or strap. The width of the strangulation marks is too wide to be a cord and there is no tearing to suggest a wire," Maura paused choosing her words carefully. "It's more consistent with someone coming up behind her and wrapping their arm around her neck. Applying pressure and cutting off her air supply."

Jane started nodding again. Grace's fiancé had said that she had been taking a self-defense course. She would have learned how to escape a chokehold at some point. Leading Jane to assume whoever did strangle Grace was extremely strong and most likely bigger than her as well.

"So the only DNA you found was saliva just below her ear?" Jane asked.

"Yes. She may have fought her attacker but it doesn't appear she scratched them or bit them."

"It's kinda a strange place for saliva to be wouldn't you say?"

"Not necessarily. If whoever left the DNA was in a romantic relationship with the victim then-"

Jane held up her hand and shook her head effectively quieting Maura. "I don't need to know the details."

"You did ask Jane. Surely you have your own spots-"

"Stop. Nope not going there with you. Come find me when you have anything for me. I've got a lead to follow."

"It's natural Jane," Maura called after her.

"I'm not listening Maura," Jane called back.

Maura smiled to herself. Sometimes she wondered how the two of them had ever become friends. It never took her long to find an answer. It never changed. Their personalities complemented each other. Where Maura calculated all of her options and worked with facts she had right in front of her Jane acted on her gut and took only the options right in front of her with the one that fit best in the moment. Maura loved that about her friend. She supposed it was why Jane was such a great detective.

XXXXX

Once in the squad room Jane found that Korsak was with Nina Holiday, the newest addition to their unit, in BRIC. Upon entering the room with the two other officers she learned that Nina had pulled all of the information she could on Alexis Eldsfield. The photo they had of her showed a much different person then the one Jane had seen in the group photo with Cody and Grace. The woman looked harder like someone who was too serious about everything. Jane hoped she never had to see what Alexis was capable of in a confrontation.

"I got the information you wanted on Alexis Eldsfield," Nina reported even though Jane could clearly see that. "College graduate moved here from New York not long after she graduated took up a job as a Site Manager for a construction company."

"Any priors?" Jane asked leaning in to get a closer look at Nina's computer screen.

"Her record is clean," Nina responded pulling another page up onto the screen. "However, she has a restraining order against someone named Fredric Smith."

"Why did she file the restraining order?" Korsak asked.

Nina pulled up the case file, having thought ahead knowing the detective would want to know everything. "He was convicted of assault sentenced to a year in prison he was released just before Eldsfield moved to Boston."

"Anything else of use?"

"Not that I can get you without a warrant Jane," Nina sighed. "Are we taking a special interest in her?"

Jane nodded her eyes never leaving the computer screen. "Right now she's the last person to have seen Grace Harper alive. I just want to cover all of the bases before we go talk to her."

"I've never know you to take so much notice this early in a case to a person of interest Jane," Nina remarked.

"Call it a gut feeling on this one," Jane offered Nina a small shrug. Turning to Korsak she offered up a devious grin. "How about you and I go and talk to Ms. Eldsfield at her job site? What do you say partner?"

"Gladly," Korsak nodded.

Jane placed a hand on Nina's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Good work. Forward me the address of where she's working now." Nina nodded as her fingers moved quickly over the keyboard pulling up the information Jane requested.

The detectives were already gone when Nina pulled up the correct location of Alexis Eldsfield's current job. Just as quickly as she had pulled up the information Nina had punched it into her phone and sent it to Jane and Korsak. She almost wished she had gone with them she enjoyed going into the field every now and then with Jane or Korsak. Sighing she turned back to the computer in front of her, not having anything particular to work on.

XXXXX

Jane regretted letting Korsak drive. They had worked together for years and they both knew the Boston area well, especially since Jane had grown up there, but Korsak had managed to get them stuck in traffic.

"I told you we should have turned two lights ago," Jane chided.

"You didn't tell me to turn until after I passed the turn," Korsak reminded her.

"Then make the next left if you want to get there before they go home for the rest of the day," Jane retorted her annoyance at the slow moving traffic painfully obvious. "Next time I'm driving."

"I offered to let you drive but you said no," Korsak's voice remained even. He knew how impatient Jane could get and he knew how to deal with it.

Jane opened her mouth to argue but quickly decided against it as Korsak turned the car moving them out of traffic. Jane had noticed it was early for rush hour but they were in Boston it would be ten times worse later. She just hoped they could catch Alexis Eldsfield at work and not have to track her down to her home. At least not until they got any physical evidence that pointed them to a true suspect.

She glanced up from staring at her hands and noticed the construction site that they were coming up on. She straightened her back and leaned forward to get a better look out the front window. She grinned when she saw men moving around in orange safety vests with hard hats perched on their heads. If they were lucky the woman, they were looking for would still be on site.

"Let's go see if we can find Ms. Alexis Eldsfield," Jane said pushing her door open before Korsak had even gotten a chance to put the car in park.

"Let's hope she's as forthcoming with her information as the fiancé," Korsak added as he joined Jane at the front of the car.

Jane let Korsak lead the way. There wasn't an office of any sort to speak of that they could see so Korsak tried to flag down a worker. While he was busy doing that Jane felt her hip vibrate. Reaching down she pulled her phone from its place on her hip and checked the caller ID. The screen showed a picture Jane had taken of Maura at a less then flattering moment involving a beer and fries. She answered.

"Rizzoli."

"Why are you always so formal when you know it's me Jane?"

"I'm sorry who is this?" Jane said teasingly her lips pulling up in a grin.

"Very funny Jane." Jane could tell by the inflection of Maura's voice that she didn't exactly find it funny at all. "I called to tell you the DNA results came back from the saliva I found on Grace Harper's jaw."

"That was quick," Jane mused. "Who's is it?"

"No hits. I'm having Kent run it through other databases such as the military but so far nothing. Whoever left the DNA isn't in the system."

"Great. Well maybe we'll have something after we talk to Grace's friend Alexis Eldsfield. Hell maybe I can get you a swab from her you can run against the DNA?"

"Just don't come back asking me to swab your neck."

"One time Maura, that happened one time and we caught the killer."

"Uh-huh."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you enjoyed going undercover and getting attention from lesbians."

"I think you're confusing yourself with me Ms. Let Me Just Thrust My Boobs in Your Face."

"I didn't thrust my breasts in your face Jane. You needed me there to test DNA."

"I didn't ask you to go undercover as a waitress in a gay bar."

"Is there a reason we're arguing about this almost three years after it happened?"

"Yes you brought it up and now I need to go. Call if you have something that will help us with the case we're working now."

"Bye Jane."

"Bye Maura." Jane hung up her phone and headed over towards Korsak who was now standing next to a large man in a neon green safety vest. "That was Maura there were no matches on the DNA she found." She informed Korsak before glancing at the man next to him. He looked small, like he didn't belong working in construction. He had trouble maintaining eye contact with either of the detectives.

Finally, after shifting on his feet a couple more times he looked up at Jane, still not meeting her eye. "You'll have to wear a helmet. Alex is on the other side of the site taking care of some logistic stuff."

XXXXX

A few minutes later and the young construction worker was leading Korsak and Jane through the worksite. Jane couldn't help but mess with the hard hat sitting on her head. It was hot and felt like the white plastic was starting to bubble. They had just passed by some heavy machinery when the man who had been leading them stopped and pointed over to a group of four people.

"Alex is the tall one in the blue shirt."

And then he was gone. The two detectives shot a look at each other both shrugging. Apparently the young worker didn't want to be away from his job for too long. Jane couldn't exactly blame him. Even from where she stood the woman who stood talking to three large men appeared to be comfortable and in charge of the people around her. Her presence almost demanding respect from her peers.

Korsak nudged Jane's arm with his elbow bringing her attention to him. "I'll let you take the lead on this one." Jane rolled her eyes at her partner.

"What's wrong Vince? You have a problem with women of authority?" Jane smirked walking ahead of Korsak.

"Do you think I'd still be working with you if I did?" Korsak asked.

"Fair enough."

As the two came up on the group the three men around Alex spread out moving to her sides giving the detectives some room. They almost reminded Jane of bodyguards which was ridiculous but still the first thing that came to mind. Jane felt eyes on her and her partner and pulled back her blazer, flashing her badge.

"I'm Detective Rizzoli and this is my partner Detective Korsak we're Boston Homicide. Could we talk to you Ms. Eldsfield?"

Jane watched as Alex turned to the three men and dismissed herself. "This way Detectives it's quieter and more private." They allowed Alex to lead them away from the middle of the construction site until the noise rising behind them was nothing more than background noise. Alex removed her helmet before motioning for the detectives to do the same.

For the first time Jane got a really good look at the woman they were dealing with. She was tall and lean much like Jane but slightly more muscularly toned then the detective. Her hair was dark, almost black, pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes were a deep slate gray that held Jane's gaze. Alex smiled and for the third time that day Jane saw someone completely different then in her DMV photo and the one Cody Stanton had the three of them.

"What can I help you with detectives?" Alex asked her smile never wavering.

"Ms. Eldsfield-"

Alex cut Jane off by raising her hand "It's Alexis or Alex. At least to everyone around here." Jane nodded.

"Okay. Alex we were hoping to ask you some questions about your whereabouts last night," Jane finished.

"My…my whereabouts? Am I…" The smile on Alex's face faded. "What is this about Detectives?"

"Grace Harper was found dead this morning. She had been strangled outside of a bar her fiancé said you went out with her last night." Jane informed her being careful to watch Alex's body language.

Jane watched Alex clench and unclench her hands as she processed what she'd been told. "Gracie is dead?" The words left her mouth barely above a whisper but Jane heard them. She heard the anger behind them. Suddenly Jane saw the same Alex as her DMV photo, angry, confrontational, cold. Suddenly Jane had Alex up in her face thrusting a finger into her chest. "You think I had something to do with it?!"

Jane held up her hands and took a step away from the suddenly enraged woman. Korsak already had his hand on the butt of his gun but Jane didn't think he would need it. "Easy we just want to talk."

It took a minute but Alex finally did drop her hand and let the anger leave her body. Alex looked back up meeting Jane's eye directly.

"Alright Detective what do you want to know."

Authors Note: 72 Hours is in a Hiatus currently but I will finish it after this one or possibly a little after that because I don't know yet.