Ice Cold: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel

deftly moves away from Kitty as she shoves a mic at Maura.
    KITTY (CONT’D)
    Dr. Isles –What can you tell us about the murders?
    MAURA
    I’ll have a statement for you later tonight, Kitty.
    Crowe puts out a hand to stop Kitty.
    KITTY
    If I was a corpse, she’d talk to me.
    PATROL OFFICER CASEY JONES, 30s is stationed at the front door with a clipboard.
    OFFICER JONES
    Evening, Dr. Isles.
    MAURA
    Hello, Casey. Dr. Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner.
    He writes this down as she enters. Crowe applies chapstick and turns back to Kitty.
    CROWE
    C’mon, it’s your lucky day.
    Kitty motions for her cameraman to set up to interview Crowe.
    CROWE (CONT’D)
    Can’t say this on camera, but we call Dr. Isles “Queen of the Dead.”
    JANE (0. S.)
    What’s that, Crowe?
    ANGLE ON Jane as she POWERS toward them. She STEPS between Crowe and Kitty, BLOCKS the cameraman’s shot of Crowe.
    CROWE
    Jeez, take a Midol.
    JANE
    Commander cleared you?
    CROWE
    What’s it to you?
    JANE
    It’s my case.
    CROWE
    Since when? I’m up. I got clearance. Move.
    JANE
    Not anymore. I just talked to the Commander. Where’s Frost?
    CROWE
    Losin’ his lunch, where else?
    ANGLE ON DET. BARRY FROST, late 20s. He’s trying to cover the fact that he’s puking into the bushes.
    CROWE (CONT’D)
    You two are a pair.
    JANE
    We ate at Ye Old Mill Grill. Probably had bad fish sticks.
    CROWE
    He shoulda stayed in Robbery. Hangnails make him gag. Guy gives us a bad name.
    Crowe throws a bullshit-friendly WAVE at Frost.
    JANE
    Leave him alone.
    Frost approaches, embarrassed. Crowe feigns concern.
    CROWE
    You okay, buddy?
    FROST
    Oh, yeah. Fine. Something I ate.
    JANE
    Where’s the crime scene?
    CROWE
    Follow your nose. Might bring back some memories.
    JANE
    What’s that supposed to mean? Crowe flashes a tight smile.
    CROWE
    You’ll see. Have fun, Rizzoli.
    As they move toward Officer Jones, Jane RUBS her hands.
    FROST
    Hands hurt?
    JANE
    It’s gonna rain.
    Jane checks in with Officer Jones.
    JANE (CONT’D)
    Rizzoli. Homicide 825.
    OFFICER JONES
    You going back for more, Frost?
    INT. WEST ROXBURY MANSION -FOYER -NIGHT

    Jane and Frost stand in a marble entry, stare at a vast home. Polished, old wood, cathedral-height ceilings.
    JANE
    Not in South Boston anymore, Dorothy.
    DET. VINCE KORSAK, 50s, doughy in his shirt sleeves and breathing hard, appears from another part of the house.
    JANE (CONT’D)
    Korsak?
    Korsak EYES Frost, not happy to see him.
    JANE (CONT’D)
    Thought you were on vacation.
    KORSAK
    Cut it short.
    Korsak looks intently at Jane. She senses something more than just antipathy toward Frost.
    JANE
    That bad?
    KORSAK
    Worse.
    Jane hands Frost a tin of Vicks VapoRub. He rubs some under his nose. Korsak starts back into the house.
    JANE
    Will you be okay this time?
    FROST
    Oh, yeah. Long as my upper lip smells like eucalyptus, I can look at anything.
    INT. WEST ROXBURY MANSION -GREAT ROOM -LATER
    CLOSE ON body of the bound man we saw earlier. No sign of the woman. His throat is SLIT, and he’s seated, propped against a wall under a comet’s tail of dried BLOOD. Frost gags.
    FROST
    Oh, man…
    Maura MEASURES the depth of the wound with a steel M.E. ruler. Frost turns away, GAGS again.
    MAURA
    Almost 15 centimeters.
    FROST
    If you got this, I can start processing the rest of the house.
    Jane nods sympathetically. Frost exits. Korsak smirks.
    MAURA
    Carotid artery and jugular have been transected. What’s odd is how precise it is.
    JANE
    Can you tell what kind of knife was used?
    Maura frowns then looks up and studies Jane’s broken nose.
    MAURA
    Hairline fracture of the nasal bone above the lateral nasal cartilage. Not disfiguring.
    Korsak looks at the corpse, confused.
    KORSAK
    Looks pretty disfiguring to me.
    JANE
    Can you pop it out?
    Maura pulls off her gloves. Korsak watches, baffled.
    MAURA
    Can’t you do something safe like yoga? Might hurt a little –
    Maura POPS Jane’s nose into place. An audible CRACK!
    JANE
    Ow! A ‘little'?
    MAURA
    Put ice on it for the next 24 hours so you don’t look like Mike Tyson.
    JANE
    You’ve been talking to my mother.
    Jane SCANS photos of a bride and groom on a baby grand. She absentmindedly touches the piano, PLAYS a few notes of the haunting song, Falling Slowly.
    JANE (CONT’D)
    Needs tuning. Nobody plays.
    KORSAK
    Victim is Dr. Martin Yeager, 34. Wife Gail is missing.
    Jane STUDIES a photo of the bride showing off a diamond ring.
    JANE
    Diamond was too small so she whacked him