Freaks: A Rizzoli & Isles Short Story

Chapter Six

“If someone killed your kid,” said Tony Rayner, “you’d want to rip him apart, too!”

The father of Kimberly Rayner was a powerfully built man, and it had taken the efforts of all three detectives to pull him off the boy, who was now cowering in the corner.

“Mr. Rayner, we haven’t established that this boy did it,” said Jane.

“Look at him!” said Rayner, glaring at Lucas. “Of course he did it!”

Jane turned to Frost. “Could you get Lucas out of here? Have him wait in the other room.”

“I should’ve beaten the hell out of you months ago,” said Rayner. “Back when you were sniffing around her. Maybe she’d still be alive now.”

“You’re the reason she ran away,” Lucas shot back. “To get away from you.”

“Oh, I had you spotted months ago, you sick—”

“I was her only friend!”

“Freak.”

“She hated you!” Lucas yelled as Frost pulled him toward the door. “Her mom hated you, too!”

Jane took one look at Rayner’s face and thought: Uh-oh. Lunging protectively between Rayner and the boy, she felt her blouse rip, heard the boy give a yelp of terror as Frost hustled him out of the room. Jane and Crowe shoved Rayner back against the table, pinning him there until Jane could snap on the handcuffs.

“Well, that was fun,” said Crowe as he pushed Rayner into a chair. “Not cool, man. And look what you did to Detective Rizzoli’s shirt.”

Jane looked down at the gaping rip that exposed the top of her bra. In cold fury, she grabbed her blazer from the chair where she’d draped it. As she buttoned up, she saw Crowe smirk as he pointedly turned away.

“You are in trouble,” she said to Rayner through clenched teeth.

“I’m the one who’s grieving, and you handcuff me? That freak’s the one who belongs in jail!”

“We haven’t proved he’s guilty.”

“For God’s sake, he believes he’s a vampire.”

“It doesn’t mean he killed her.”

Rayner heaved out a deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry I tore your blouse. Can you take these handcuffs off?”

Jane and Crowe glanced at each other. She thought of the headache of booking the man. Thought of what she’d say in court. Yes, Your Honor, I know he just lost his daughter and he was emotionally distraught. But I paid a hundred dollars for that blouse.

With a sigh she unlocked the cuffs.

“What about him?” Rayner asked, rubbing his wrists. “Is that kid under arrest?”

“That’s for us to decide.”

He looked at her. “We’ll see about that.”